30 Days of Mentalizing

Image by striaticI'm proud to announce a pilot program I'm calling 30 Days of Mentalizing, which will begin on June 1.

This peer-led psychoeducation opportunity will allow participants to learn about Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT)—an evidenced-based therapy. Through a daily e-mail, subscribers will encouraged to engage in a variety of activities that help promote mentalizing—the ability to better understand our own thoughts and emotions and those of others.

MBT was originally created to treat borderline personality disorder but has now been adapted to help family members of those diagnosed with BPD. Valerie Porr—author of Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: A Family Guide to Healing and Change—has even called MBT the "missing piece" of dialectical behavior therapy.

Increasing our capacity to mentalize may help us to:

• develop our social cognition skills
• begin to eliminate misunderstandings with those we care about
• be more aware of how our behaviors can affect others 
• connect in more meaningful ways 
• better understand our world

Please note that 30 Days of Mentalizing is not a therapy program nor is it intended to be a substitute for treatment, care or consultation with a licensed healthcare professional. If you are wondering if this psychoeducation program may be appropriate for you, please ask your healthcare provider.

The pilot is limited to 30 participants and will be just $15. To subscribe, click here and sign up by May 30, 2013. Subscribers will be asked to fill out an optional and anonymous survey at the end of pilot.

Please e-mail me at amanda@hopeforbpd.com if you'd like additional information.

Sharing Success and Hope for Emotion Regulation Disorder

Image by Pink Sherbet Photography

Sometimes it's easy to get stuck thinking about all the things that are wrong but success usually isn't hard to find. On March 26, 2013, we'll kick off spring with stories of postive changes in your life.

If you are a family member or a friend, did you do any of the following this past year?

• took a psychoeducation class 
• read or heard something that made a difference in your life
• validated someone you love
• practiced self-compassion
• put your oxygen mask on first during a crisis
• learned DBT
• found new ways to communicate
• didn't give up

If you are someone who's been diagnosed with emotion regulation disorder, did you do any of the following this past year?

• started or graduated from treatment 
• stayed sober or out of the hospital
• repaired old relationships or started healthy new ones
• got a new job or a better one
• earned an A this past semester 
• asked for help and got it
• kept yourself safe
• didn't give up

This is your opportunity to share how you are creating a life worth living. Everyone will have five minutes to share their victories.

The cost to participate is $25 per person but you can register through March 16th for just $15. This call will be recorded for future listening.

Please contact Amanda Smith at (941) 704-4328 if you have any questions about this important event. This call is designed for family members, friends, individuals diagnosed with BPD, and mental health professionals.

Register today by clicking here.

Borderline Personality Disorder and Addictions

Image by Taylor McBridePlease join us on Tuesday, December 4th at 7:00 pm CDT (8:00 pm EDT/5:00 pm PDT) when we speak with Bari Platter, RN, MS about addiction treatment and harm reduction for BPD. Bari is the author of a new curriculum about integrating 12 Step Programs and Dialectical Behavior Therapy and she's a clinical specialist at the University of Colorado Hospital, Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation in Denver.

Self-medicating behaviors and substance use are extraordinarily common in borderline personality disorder. Sometimes it's just a one more problem to pay attention to during treatment and other times it can be potentially life-destroying.

All registered attendees to this one-hour teleconference will have an opportunity to speak with Ms. Platter and ask any questions. This call will be also be recorded for future listening.

The cost to participate is $25 per person but you can register through November 29th for just $15.

Please contact Amanda Smith at (941) 704-4328 if you have any questions about this important event. This call is designed for family members, friends, and individuals diagnosed with BPD.

Click here to register today.

Talking about Self-Injury with David Fitzpatrick

Image by whatmegsaidPlease join us on Thursday, November 15th at 7:00 pm CDT (8:00 pm EDT/5:00 pm PDT) when we speak with David Fitzpatrick. David is the author of Sharp: A Memoir. 

There are many misconceptions about why people with emotion regulation disorders engage in self-harming behaviors and David will not only speak about his experience with self-injury but will also help us to dispel some of myths surrounding the behaviors.

All registered attendees to this one-hour teleconference will have an opportunity to speak with Mr. Fitzpatrick. This call will be also be recorded for future listening.

The cost to participate is $25 per person but you can register through November 8th for just $15.

You won't want to miss this inspirational story of hope and recovery.

Please contact Amanda Smith at (941) 704-4328 if you have any questions about this important event. This call is designed for family members, friends, and individuals diagnosed with BPD.

Click here to register today.

Evidence-Based Practice: STEPPS

Image by Pink Sherbet PhotographyPlease join us on Wednesday, November 7th at 7:00 pm CDT (8:00 pm EDT/5:00 pm PDT) when we speak with Nancee Blum MSW. Nancee is the creator of an evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder called STEPPS.

Nancee writes—

In this cognitive-behavioral, skills training approach, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized as a disorder of emotion and behavior regulation. The goal is to provide the person with BPD, professionals treating them, and closely allied friends and family members with a common language to communicate clearly about the disorder and the skills used to manage it STEPPS participants learn specific emotion and behavior management skills and also identify key professionals, friends, and family members as part of their "reinforcement team;" these individuals learn to reinforce and support the newly learned skills. This helps avoid the phenomenon of "splitting," a process in which the person with BPD may externalize their internal conflict by appearing to draw others around them into taking sides against each other and arguing about the merits of differing perspectives and behaviors. Splitting, like other behaviors common in BPD, is not viewed as an intentional act of aggression, but as an automatic response to the emotional intensity and dysregulation the group member can learn to anticipate and replace with more effective responses.

All registered attendees to this one-hour teleconference will receive additional information about STEPPS and will have an opportunity to ask Nancee questions about BPD and evidence-based treatment for the disorder. This call will be also be recorded for future listening.

The cost to participate is $25 per person but you can register through October 31st for just $15.

Please contact Amanda Smith at (941) 704-4328 if you have any questions about this important event. This call is designed for family members, friends, and individuals diagnosed with BPD.

Click here to register today.