Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

Who This Is For

 

People with a BPD diagnosis who want more than a skills workbook. People who recognize the pattern without a diagnosis: emotions that go from zero to overwhelming in seconds, relationships that swing between idealizing and despising, a terror of being left that drives behaviour you later regret, a sense of self that feels hollow or shifts depending on who you are with, and urges toward self-harm when the feeling becomes too much. People with quiet BPD, whose storm turns inward and goes unnoticed. People with both BPD and dissociative symptoms, where standard treatment has not been enough. Partners and family members seeking their own support are welcome as well.

 

How Treatment Works

 

The foundation is stability: DBT skills for riding out intense emotion without acting on it, tolerating distress, and handling conflict without the relationship collapsing. These skills are taught and practised from the start because they make everything else possible. Jason has extensive training in DBT and uses it as a working toolkit rather than a rigid curriculum.

 

Skills alone, though, do not resolve why the feelings are so large in the first place. Alongside the skills work, treatment addresses the trauma and attachment injuries beneath BPD using Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), which understands the sudden shifts of BPD as different parts of you carrying different survival responses, and EMDR once stability allows it. For many clients this combination is what finally makes the symptoms make sense, and what makes them change.

 

BPD, Trauma, and Dissociation

 

Most people with BPD have histories of early neglect, abuse, or chronic invalidation, and a large proportion also experience dissociation: numbing, losing time, feeling unreal, or feeling like a different person from one hour to the next. These are not separate problems. The splitting, the emptiness, and the abrupt changes in how you see yourself and others are what a divided, trauma-shaped nervous system looks like from the inside. Treating BPD as trauma, rather than as a character flaw, is both more accurate and more effective. Our guide to BPD explains the condition in depth.

 

What a Course of Therapy Looks Like

 

Early sessions map your patterns: what sets off the spiral, what you do when it hits, and what has and hasn't helped before. From there, weekly sessions build skills and begin the parts-informed work, with a plan in place for crises so that difficult weeks don't derail treatment. Many clients notice fewer and shorter episodes within the first few months. The deeper work on trauma and attachment takes longer and is paced to your stability rather than a calendar.

 

Rates and Insurance

 

Individual sessions are $150 for 50 minutes or $220 for 80 minutes. The initial 15-minute consultation is free. Receipts are provided for extended health benefits; many plans reimburse sessions with a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) or Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), so check your plan's coverage for counselling.

 

Virtual BPD Therapy Across Western Canada

 

Sessions take place by secure video for clients in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with limited in-person availability by appointment in Calgary. Research on BPD treatment delivered online shows outcomes comparable to in-person care, and consistent weekly attendance, which matters a great deal in BPD treatment, is easier when there is no commute. Daytime and evening appointments are available Monday to Friday, with Saturday mornings.

 

About Jason Chang

 

Jason Chang, MA, is a Canadian Certified Counsellor and Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in borderline personality disorder, complex trauma, and dissociation. He is certified in Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment and has extensive training in DBT and EMDR. Read more about Jason.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is this a full DBT program?

 

No. A full DBT program includes a weekly skills group, individual therapy, and phone coaching, usually through a hospital or clinic. This is individual therapy that teaches and uses DBT skills as part of a broader trauma-informed approach. For some people a full program is the right fit, and Jason will say so if that is the case.

 

Can BPD actually get better?

 

Yes. Long-term studies consistently show that most people with BPD no longer meet criteria for the diagnosis years later, and effective therapy accelerates that considerably. The painful intensity of BPD is not a life sentence.

 

Do I need a formal diagnosis first?

 

No. Many people recognize the pattern long before anyone diagnoses it. Therapy addresses the experiences you have whether or not a diagnosis is ever made, and a diagnosis can be discussed in session if it would be useful to you.

 

What if I self-harm or have suicidal thoughts?

 

These are common in BPD and can be talked about openly here. A safety plan is built early in treatment, and self-harm is approached as something a part of you does to survive overwhelming feeling, which means it can be understood and replaced rather than merely forbidden.

 

Do you work with partners or family of someone with BPD?

 

Yes, in their own individual sessions. Loving someone with BPD is hard, and having your own place to understand the dynamics and set boundaries helps both of you. Our guide to supporting a partner or family member with BPDs is a good starting point.