Advanced Borderline PD

Borderline Personality Disorder remains one of the most misunderstood—and high-risk—diagnoses in behavioral health, with at least 10% of individuals with BPD completing suicide and many more engaging in attempts, threats, or high-risk behaviors. Yet contrary to popular belief, the prognosis for most people with BPD is actually quite good when clinicians use structured, evidence-based, and integrative approaches.

If you want a clearer, more confident way to assess, explain, and treat BPD—without reinforcing stigma or getting lost in crisis management—this training offers a practical roadmap grounded in research and real-world clinical experience.

Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D., is a three-time best-selling author and internationally recognized trainer who has devoted more than 20 years to developing advanced expertise in personality styles and cognitive behavioral approaches. Personally trained by Marsha Linehan and by Drs. Aaron and Judith Beck at The Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, Dr. Riggenbach developed an integrated DBT/CBT/Schema Therapy program that has treated over 500 patients with BPD over a 15-year period. He has since trained clinicians in all 50 United States and nine countries on the structure and implementation of this model.

In this course, Dr. Riggenbach translates research into practical tools clinicians can immediately apply “in the trenches.” Through didactic teaching, case studies, structured examples, and a touch of humor, he walks you step-by-step through earlier recognition of BPD, differential diagnosis considerations, and how to explain the diagnosis to clients and families in ways that decrease defensiveness and foster collaboration. His approach integrates “top-down” and “bottom-up” strategies while demonstrating how individual and group interventions can work together within a cohesive program structure.

You will explore the 9 diagnostic criteria for BPD and key differential diagnosis concerns, including how to differentiate a Bipolar mood swing from a Borderline mood swing. The course examines 8 motivations for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and provides targeted intervention strategies for each. Dr. Riggenbach will guide you through analyzing 18 maladaptive schemas that drive destructive behaviors and show you how to design case conceptualization maps that directly inform treatment planning, agenda setting, documentation, and collaboration. He will also outline general principles for effective treatment, share example treatment agreements, describe session acuity protocols, and demonstrate how to apply an integrated CBT/DBT/Schema Therapy model in both individual and group formats.

Key Takeaways:

• Clearer Diagnostic Confidence: Describe the 9 diagnostic criteria for BPD, address differential diagnosis concerns, and explain the diagnosis to clients and families in a way that decreases defensiveness and strengthens therapeutic alliance.
• Targeted Intervention for High-Risk Behaviors: Identify the 8 motivations for non-suicidal self-injury and implement strategies that align interventions with each underlying function.
• Integrated Treatment Planning: Design collaborative case conceptualization maps and apply an integrated CBT/DBT/Schema Therapy model to guide individual and group treatment, session structure, and documentation.

Why this course?

• Learn What Graduate School Didn’t Teach You: Move beyond theory to a structured, programmatic model developed and tested with over 500 patients with BPD.
• Train with a Recognized Authority: Benefit from instruction by a clinician personally trained by Marsha Linehan and the Beck Institute, who has trained clinicians worldwide on integrative personality disorder treatment.
• Practice-Ready Tools for Real Settings: Gain concrete frameworks, treatment agreements, acuity considerations, and integrative strategies you can immediately implement across clinical settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the 9 diagnostic criteria for BPD, addressing key differential diagnosis concerns, and discuss how to convey the criteria to clients and family members in a way that decreases defensiveness.
• Identify 8 motivations for non-suicidal self-injury and use strategies for appropriate intervention in response to each.
• Analyze 18 maladaptive schemas that drive destructive behaviors in BPD.
• Design case conceptualization maps that enhance collaboration and drive your treatment planning, agenda setting, and documentation.
• Apply an integrated CBT/DBT/Schema therapy model to treat clients with BPD, incorporating both individual and group therapy components.
• List 3 factors to consider when determining the session acuity protocol when treating BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder does not have to remain a diagnosis associated primarily with crisis and frustration. With a structured, integrative framework and a renewed mindset toward this once heavily stigmatized population, you can approach BPD cases with greater clarity, steadiness, and confidence—making this training a meaningful next step in strengthening your clinical impact.