Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a chronic, mental health disorder. It is a serious psychological condition that is characterized by pervasive instability in moods, emotions, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships which interfere with one’s ability to function in everyday life. The treatment for BPD often includes long-term participation in psychodynamic models of psychotherapy such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT was developed by Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s, specifically as a means to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. It is founded on the principals of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and blends eastern mindfulness techniques (e.g., awareness, mindfulness and attentiveness to current situations and emotional experiences) to encourage acceptance and change. DBT emphasizes the psychosocial aspect of treatment. DBT is a rigidly structured therapeutic approach that is carried out in three therapeutic settings, including weekly individual therapy sessions; weekly DBT skills training group therapy sessions, and as-needed phone coaching. This allows participants to engage in individualized and collective treatment to focus on the four modules of DBT, which are: core mindfulness (focusing skills), distress tolerance (crisis survival skills), emotion regulation (de-escalation skills), and interpersonal effectiveness (social/ relationship skills). Each module highlights distinct and specific skills that build upon each other.
Internet-Delivered Mental Health Treatment
Online therapy, also known as online counseling or telemental health, has become rather noteworthy in the mental health provider landscape. It is defined as “the use of telecommunications or videoconferencing technology to provide mental health services.” Verywell Mind further explains that online treatment relies on communicating via email, real-time instant messaging, mobile device apps, video conferencing, text-based chats, and telephone. The psychotherapeutic techniques that work for traditional, in-person counseling can also be used online with equal success when treating certain conditions.
Online DBT
Although DBT is the gold-standard method of treatment for BPD, it is not uncommon for there to be long waiting times for this intervention. This limitation prompted a recent study that aimed to explore whether a brief internet-delivered DBT skills training program with minimal therapist support would serve as an acceptable alternative, including if it could be administered, useful, and would not inflict harm for patients with BPD. While the researchers concluded that future studies are needed to investigate and identify in what ways some BPD patients may be more susceptible to internet-delivered skills training than others, overall, the data collected from this study indicate that this intervention does seem to be acceptable.
Treatment In Calabasas
Calabasas is a city in California. It is a well-known suburb of Los Angeles, located west of the San Fernando Valley and north of the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the past decade, the city of Calabasas has grown in its reputation for luxury as well as for privacy which makes it a hidden gem for residential living for society’s elite, and one of the most desirable destinations in Los Angeles County. It is also home to a plethora of highly qualified mental health clinicians providing an array of therapeutic services and treatment options.
The information above is provided for the use of informational purposes only. The above content is not to be substituted for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, as in no way is it intended as an attempt to practice medicine, give specific medical advice, including, without limitation, advice concerning the topic of mental health. As such, please do not use any material provided above to disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment.
