Borderline Personality Disorder Peer Resource Guide
(Revised September 2024)
This resource list was peer reviewed by volunteer leaders of Emotions Matter with lived experience of borderline personality disorder using the following criteria determined to be consistent with the values of our organization:
● Does the resource use recovery-focused language, emphasizing hope and healing?
● Does the resource use empowering, stigma-free language associated with BPD?
● Does the resource reflect accurate, up to date information about BPD?
This is a living document which will be periodically reviewed and updated by our volunteers. If you have a resource to add to this list, email info@emotionsmatterbpd.org. Thank you!
Podcasts
Therapists in the Wild Podcast - A DBT skills-based podcast. Launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to contribute to healing collective suffering. Its mission is to make DBT more accessible.
http://www.therapistsinthewild.com/
The BPD Bunch - The BPD bunch is a talk show, featuring a panel of 17 people who are in functional recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder. Each week they discuss BPD-related topics to help give insights into the different ways BPD can be expressed in someone’s life. They also cover the different paths they followed on their recovery journeys to give others hope and direction.
Back From the Borderline - The official cPTSD & BPD recovery podcast. https://www.backfromtheborderline.com/
DBT & Me - Two mental health therapists in Seattle, WA, teaching DBT groups as a team for years.
https://open.spotify.com/show/0q4Ri6Mc8npuq3qZk1ONRV
From Borderline to Beautiful - Podcast tackles tough topics and provides information and insight into BPD with Rose Skeeter.
https://anchor.fm/rose-skeeters
DBT Weekly - A weekly podcast by Stephanie Edsall that focuses on mental health therapy and skills development.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dbt-weekly/id1460055048
Thoughtful Counselor - A podcast dedicated to the arts and science behind the counseling profession; focusing on different aspects of therapy, social work, psychology, and psychiatry.
https://thethoughtfulcounselor.com/podcast-2/
The Skillful Podcast - A bi-weekly podcast by the Bay Area DBT and Counseling Center that explores skills and concepts from DBT to help listeners reduce emotional suffering, improve relationships, and create the life they want to live. http://theskillfullpodcast.libsyn.com/2019
GAP Call-In Series - Podcast produced by the Global Alliance for Prevention and Early Intervention for BPD (GAP), sponsored by the NEA-BPD. https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/gap-call-in-series-podcast/
Trauma Rewired with Jennifer Wallace & Elisabeth Kristof- This podcast teaches us about our nervous system, how trauma gets stuck and stored in our bodies and what we can do to help ourselves heal. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trauma-rewired/id1537602643
Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin- Jeremy Godwin is an Australian author, podcaster and coach/counselor. He discusses overall wellbeing, with a strong focus on mental health on this podcast. Jeremy is the author of: "Life Advice That Doesn't Suck!" and "Let's Talk About Mental Health (Volume One)." https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-about-mental-health-with-jeremy-godwin/id1484984752
Being Well with Hanson Forrest & Dr. Rick Forrest- A clinical psychologist father and his podcaster son explore the science of well-being. Their discussions often focus on: psychology, science, building resilience and overcoming your personal challenges. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-well-with-forrest-hanson-and-dr-rick-hanson/id1120885936
Brain Science: Neuroscience, Behavior with Dr. Mireille Reece & Adam Stacoviak- This mental health podcast explores: behavior change, habit formation and personal transformation. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/brain-science-neuroscience-behavior/id1475672610
BPD Clinical Experts with Teaching Videos
Dr. Frank Yeomans “Is BPD Just a Form of PTSD” from Borderliner Notes.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p2pFb4dFpQ Biod: (ttps://www.frankyeomans.com/).
Dr. Peter Fonagy (Clinical Psychologist specializing in Mentalization based Treatment)-
Bio: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychoanalysis/people/peter-fonagy
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzN7NqvUras
Dr. John Gunderson “Father of BPD Describes BPD” from Borderliner Notes
Bio: https://www.mcleanhospital.org/news/memoriam-john-g-gunderson-md
Books
Codependent No More by Melody Beatty- Codependency is the concept of losing oneself in the name of helping another. Melody Beatty has helped millions of readers understand that they are powerless to change anyone but themselves and that caring for the self is where healing begins. With instructive life stories, personal reflections, exercises, and self-tests, Codependent No More helps you to break old patterns, maintain healthy boundaries, and say no to unhealthy relationships. It offers a clear and achievable path to freedom and a lifetime of healing, hope, and happiness.
A Queer and Pleasant Danger by Kate Bornstein- Kate Bornstein is a gender theorist, performance artist and author. Her memoir encompasses her early childhood and adolescence, college at Brown, a life in the theater, three marriages and fatherhood, the Scientology hierarchy, transsexual life, LGBTQ politics, and life on the road as a sought-after speaker.
Borderline Personality Disorder by Anna Nierling- This book is written specifically for those living with BPD. It offers a compassionate overview of this complex disorder, including its causes, symptoms and treatment options. Nierling helps readers to discover the information and support they need to overcome this disorder and start living the fulfilling lives they deserve.
Borderline Personality Disorder by Lois Frost- This book provides those living with BPD practical strategies to manage emotional instability and cultivate emotional intelligence. Frost offers insights into the origins and symptoms of BPD, helping readers better understand their condition. Readers will learn: effective coping mechanisms to handle stress and paranoia, how to foster a sense of peace and tranquility and special techniques to help them develop healthier and more positive self-images. Frost's book also includes real-life stories and examples to guide readers on their journey towards managing their BPD symptoms.
The Big Book on Borderline Personality Disorder by Shehrina Rooney- Rooney explains the intricate brain science of emotion dysregulation and shares her favorite DBT grounding strategies and skills. This book includes specific chapters for family and loved ones, men living with BPD and anyone who has been newly diagnosed with BPD.
Hard to Love: Understanding and Overcoming Male Borderline Personality Disorder by Dr. Joseph Nowinski - Clinical psychologist Joseph Nowinski provides easy-to-implement solutions for BPD men and those who love them. Dr. Nowinski lays out the origins of BPD in men and helps a man determine if BPD describes the problems in living he's experienced, and if so, how to fix them.
https://www.josephnowinski.com
How To Be the Love You Seek by Dr. Nicole Lepera - In How to Be the Love You Seek, Dr. LePera offers a new path to healing our relationships. Harnessing the latest scientific research, she teaches us to recognize how unmet needs from our earliest relationships create our current, dysfunctional relationship patterns, and leave us in a state of constant internal threat, even with those closest to us.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Love-You-Seek-Relationships/dp/0063267748
Instagram: @the.holistic.psychologist
The Way She Feels: My Life on the Borderline in Pictures and Pieces - https://courtneycook.me/
Radical Compassion- Tara Brach - Learning to love yourself through the RAIN meditation.
https://www.tarabrach.com/books/radical-compassion/
Buddha and Borderline - A memoir by Keira Van Gelder about her recovery from BPD through DBT and spirituality.
Borderline Personality Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Living with Borderline Personality Disorder - A guide by Alexander L. Chapman, Ph.D., Kim L. Graz, Ph.D. and Perry D. Hoffman, Ph.D., to understanding everything you need to know about BPD, as well as evidence-based treatment.
Building a Life Worth Living - A memoir written by Dr. Marsha Linehan, the creator of DBT, about her experience with overcoming BPD.
Get Me Out of Here - A memoir written by Rachel Reiland about her recovery from BPD.
Girl in Need of a Tourniquet - A memoir written by Merri Lisa Johnson about how BPD affected her relationships.
Loud in the House of Myself - A memoir by Stacy Pershall about her experience with BPD and bipolar disorder.
Coping with BPD: DBT and CBT Skills to Soothe Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder - A guide by Blaise Aguirre, MD and Gillian Galen, PsyD. to developing coping skills based on DBT and CBT techniques.
New Hope for People with Borderline Personality Disorder: Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementary Solution - A guide to the latest treatments and techniques for managing BPD by Neil R. Brockian, Phd and Nora Elizabeth Villagran.
Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified: An Essential Guide for Understanding and Living with BPD - A guide by Robert O. Friedel to understanding BPD, causes, and its possible treatment options.
BPD: New Reasons for Hope - Dr. Francis Mondimore and Dr. Patrick Kelly examine BPD in a new, positive light and encourage hope in recovery.
Beyond Borderline: True Stories of Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder by John G. Gunderson, MD, Perry Hoffman, Phd, a compilation of people's experiences living with BPD
This is Not the End: Conversations on Borderline Personality Disorder - A collection of real-life stories and essays about individuals' experiences with BPD by Tabetha Martin (Editor).
Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed - A guide by Alexander Chapman, Phd, and Kim L, Gratz, Phd, to help those recently diagnosed with BPD
Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder: Relieve your Suffering Using the Core Skill of Dialectical Behavior Therapy - A guide by Galen Gillian, PsyD, which includes real-life stories and experiences, to using mindfulness to help cope with BPD.
Remnants of a Life on Paper: A Mother and Daughter’s Struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder – A memoir illustrating how one family struggled to find treatment for BPD leading to a tragic loss in 2001, highlighting failures of the mental health system.
Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: A Family Guide for Healing and Change - A guide for understanding BPD and developing family skills by Valerie Porr.
When Your Daughter Has BPD: Essential Skills to Help Families Manage Borderline Personality Disorder by Daniel S. Lobel.
How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person’s Guide to Suicide Prevention by Susan Rose Blauner.
Talking to a Loved One with Borderline Personality Disorder: Communication to Manage Intense Emotions, Set Boundaries & Reduce Conflict by Jerold J. Kreisman, MD.
The Way She Feels: My Life on the Borderline in Pictures and Pieces by Courtney Cook.
Millie the Cat Has Borderline Personality Disorder by Jessie Shepherd, ACMHC
Workbooks
How to Meet Your Self by Nicole LePera- This is Dr. Nicole's first interactive self-discovery workbook designed to help individuals to uncover their authentic selves.
Self-Directed DBT Skills: 3-Month DBT Workbook: Regulate Intense Emotions and Create Lasting Change with Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Kiki Fehling, PhD, and Elliot Weiner, PhD.
The DBT Wellness Planner: 365 Days of Healthy Living for Your Body, Mind and Spirit) A DBT-based planner by Amanda Smith, LCSW that helps plan, practice, and track skills usage and progress.
DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets - The official DBT workbook developed by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan.
The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook: An Integrative Program to Understand and Manage your BPD by Daniel J. Fox, Phd, a self-help workbook for managing symptoms.
The Borderline Personality Disorder Toolbox - An evidence-based workbook by Dr. Jeff Riggenbach aimed to help regulate intense emotions.
The DBT Deck for Clients and Therapists: 101 Mindful Practices to Manage Distress, Regulate Emotions and Build Better Relationships by Lane Penderson, a set of cards as a tool to help practice DBT skills.
Websites
DBT Self Help: This site offers information on DBT research, recommendations for finding DBT providers, crisis services and international resources. DBTSELFHELP also has fantastic exercises, worksheets and training modules for skill-building. www.dbtselfhelp.com
Mindful Care - Group Therapy Resource/Therapist Finder Website
https://mindful.care/mindfit-group-therapy
Action for Happiness – This website provides evidence-based ideas and materials to enable practical action to create happier homes, workplaces and communities
Emotions Anonymous - EAI is a nonprofit organization that facilitates the Emotions Anonymous (EA) 12-Step Program by providing a central location for support group meeting information. EAI offers EA-approved materials and other resources to help individuals improve their mental health and well-being. EAI's mission is to support individuals with emotional difficulties in their efforts to live more manageable lives. Many people have found their way to a more positive life experience by participating in this program.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents - Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)/Dysfunctional Families is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program of people who grew up in dysfunctional homes. Individuals meet to share their experiences of growing up in an environment where abuse, neglect and trauma affected them. ACA provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment that allows individuals to grieve their childhoods and conduct an honest inventory of themselves and their families—so they may (i) identify and heal core trauma, (ii) experience freedom from shame and abandonment, and (iii) become their own loving parents.
Organizations:
Borderline Personality Disorder Society of BC - The BPD Society of BC was founded in 2012 in an effort to fill the gaps in service for folks living with BPD and their loved ones. The Society’s goal is to create awareness of the stigma that exists around BPD, educate the public on evidence-based and up to date information on BPD and its treatments, and support the BPD community to live a life worth living through peer support, validation, community engagement, and access to appropriate services.
Behavioral Tech - Dr. Marsha Linehan's institute for DBT training. https://behavioraltech.org/
BPD Demystified - A comprehensive website full of various information regarding BPD. http://www.bpddemystified.com
Hope for BPD - Website written by Amanda Smith, LCSW dedicated to those with BPD https://www.hopeforbpd.com
Project Borderline - A space where individuals with BPD can share their experiences with recovery.
https://borderlineproject.org/
7 Cups - Website offering online therapy, self help guides and free support chat rooms. https://www.7cups.com/
McLean Hospital - Website that contains resources and information about BPD. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/borderline-personality-disorder
Blogs
DBT Exchange - A peer written blog on DBT skills.
dbtexchange.com a peer blog for DBT
Pearls from Beyond Borderline - Blog by NEA-BPD about true stories of recovery. https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/blog2/
The Fight Within US - A blog by Amanda Wang chronicling her experiences with BPD. https://www.amandaranceswang.com
Healing from BPD - A blog about one woman's experience recovering from BPD. https://my-borderline-personality-disorder.com
Apps
Bearable: Bearable is a mood tracking app that aims to help people with health challenges have a better understanding of their conditions so that they can make more informed decisions regarding their overall wellness. https://bearable.app/
Daylio: Daylio is a journal, diary and mood tracking app designed to motivate people to set and measure their personal goals. https://daylio.net/
Borderline Personality Tracker: This mood tracker is specifically designed for people living with BPD. It helps individuals: track symptoms, mental health treatments, keep a gratitude journal, create PDF reports to share with their doctor(s), stay on track with their daily wellness routine and visualize their mood changes. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/borderline-personality-tracker/id1568920165
Shmoodyapp: Shmoody combines a mood tracker with action planning, peer support, a chat bot, a "joy" calendar to encourage self-discovery, life coaching, breathing exercises and mindful meditations to help people living with anxiety and depression to build positive habits. https://www.shmoody.com/
Finch - Finch was created by two friends who struggled with anxiety and depression and found self-care challenging to stick with. They decided to build Finch with the mission to make self-care fun and accessible after seeing many others share similar struggles. https://finchcare.com/
BPD Explained - BPD App available only for Android phones. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andromo.dev859449.app1007337&hl=en_US&gl=US
Wellness Tracker - App which is useful to sticking to a daily routine, and keeping track of health and wellness activities. https://www.dbsalliance.org/wellness/wellness-toolbox/wellness-tracker/
Mindfulness Daily - A personalized app that helps incorporate mindfulness into your daily life. http://www.mindfulnessdailyapp.com/
Calm - A personalized app that helps incorporate mindfulness into your daily life. https://www.calm.com/
Headspace - An app for guided meditations. https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app
DBT Diary Card - An app to be paired with the DBT Workbook that helps keep track of emotions, behaviors, and skills usage, and also includes skills coaching. www.diarycard.net
Jour - A mindfulness-based journaling app that allows you to keep track of your emotions and thoughts. www.jour.com
Organizations
National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder - National organization dedicated to providing education and resources to those with BPD. www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org
New England Personality Disorders Association - Regional organization dedicated to providing education and resources to those with BPD.
Personality Disorders Action Network – Organization dedicated to raising awareness of personality disorders.
Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center - NY Presbyterian Hospital's collection of resources for those with BPD.
Emotions Matter - An organization dedicated to support those with lived experience of BPD through education, support and advocacy. www.emotionsmatterbpd.org
Florida Borderline Personality Disorders Association - Regional organization dedicated to providing education and resources to those with BPD.
Crisis Resources
988 - Crisis counselor number to call or text in the USA starting July 16, 2022. https://988lifeline.org/
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Get connected to skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area anytime, 24 hours a day http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Videos
Back from the Edge - An educational video produced by New York-Presbyterian Hospital on treating BPD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=967Ckat7f98
Dr. Fox - The Youtube channel of psychologist Dr. Daniel Fox, who makes educational videos about BPD.
https://www.youtube.com/user/lcruz71
If Only We Had Known: A Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder - This five part video series includes: Understanding BPD, Causes of BPD, Symptoms of BPD, Treatments for BPD, and Coping with BPD.
https://www.bpdvideo.com/bpd-video-trailers
BPDvideo - A website that provides accurate information, resources, and support to individuals and their loved ones.
Emotions Matter Resources*
Borderline Personality Disorder: In Our Own Words. (2017)
Borderline Personality Disorder: The Facts (2017)
Utilizing Single Case Agreements to Access Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Strategy to Support Health care Consumers and Clinicians. (2018)
Understanding and Supporting those Impacted by Borderline Personality Disorder, Self-Harm and Suicidality. (2019)
Supporting Students with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Educational Professionals, Parents and Students (2020)
Emotions Matter COVID-19 Peer Resources: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56aab18d4bf11837b0fa5fe9/t/5ea998d6bbc3423470e36c3f/1588173017074/Peer+Resource+COVID-19+Draft+uPDATED+4.27.20.pdf
Emotions Matter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZY65I4LqtG4xO1sN2oRNyw
* These resources can be found on our publications page: https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/resources2
@the.truth.doctor: Dr. Courtney Tracy - Dr. Courtney Tracy, also known as "The Truth Doctor," is a USC-trained licensed clinical social worker (93285), doctor of clinical psychology, autistic human, recovered borderline, and the founder of the Truth Doctor, a mental wellness company built to teach people what it means to be human.
https://www.thetruthdoctor.com/
@DrDFox - Daniel J. Fox, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and multiple-award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment and assessment of individuals with personality disorders for over 20 years in the state and federal prison system, universities, and in private practice. His specialty areas include personality disorders, ethics, burnout prevention, and emotional intelligence.
@Drkimsage - Dr. Kim Sage is a licensed psychologist specializing in helping people heal childhood trauma, anxiety and relationships, and she also works in private practice in California. She holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and a Master's Degree in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy.
@dbtkiki - Dr. Kiki Fehling is a licensed psychologist and expert in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), borderline personality disorder, self-harm, trauma, and LGBTQ+ mental health. Dr. Fehling is also an author, speaker, and Linehan-Board-certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) expert therapist.
@catherinelcsw - Dr. Catherine Humenuk, LCSW, C-DBT wants to change the way you think about BPD. She has an instagram that posts regular evidence-based, research-informed, stigma-free content to promote BPD education. Dr. Huemuck takes often undiscussed topics about BPD and breaks them down into easy to digest information with practical resources to promote learning and recovery.
You Tube
A channel dedicated to videos of all the DBT skills. https://www.youtube.com/c/DbtpathNetonline
