Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised mental health conditions — yet with the right treatment, people with BPD achieve meaningful and lasting recovery.
Our registered psychologists in Melbourne provide evidence-based BPD treatment including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) across four clinic locations and via Telehealth.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
BPD is a mental health condition characterised by emotional sensitivity, intense and unstable relationships, a fragile or shifting sense of self, and often impulsive or self-destructive behaviour. It develops from a combination of biological sensitivity and early invalidating or traumatic environments (Linehan, 1993).
Core features of BPD include:
People with BPD often describe their experience as:
BPD affects approximately 1–2% of the general population and up to 20% of psychiatric inpatients. It is not untreatable — it is undertreated (Zanarini et al., 2010).
BPD develops from a combination of biological emotional sensitivity — a nervous system that responds more intensely and more slowly returns to baseline — and an environment that consistently invalidated emotional experience (Linehan, 1993).
This creates a person who feels deeply but has never learned to regulate those feelings effectively. Effective treatment provides exactly what was missing:
With evidence-based treatment, the majority of people with BPD achieve remission. Longitudinal studies show 50% remission at 2 years and 85–88% at 10 years (Zanarini et al., 2010).
Our psychologists use treatments with the strongest evidence base for BPD:
The gold standard evidence-based treatment for BPD (Linehan et al., 2015). DBT was specifically developed for BPD by Marsha Linehan. It includes individual therapy, skills training (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness), and phone coaching. Produces significant reductions in self-harm, hospitalisation, and suicidality.
Addresses the core early maladaptive schemas — deep-seated beliefs about self and others formed in childhood — that drive BPD patterns in adult relationships. Particularly effective for the identity instability and abandonment schemas central to BPD (Giesen-Bloo et al., 2006).
Strengthens the capacity to understand one’s own and others’ mental states — the mentalising deficit that underlies BPD’s interpersonal instability and emotional dysregulation. Originally developed as an intensive treatment, MBT is now adapted for outpatient delivery (Bateman & Fonagy, 2009).
Many people with BPD have histories of childhood trauma, abuse, or neglect. Where this is present, addressing the underlying trauma — using EMDR or trauma-focused CBT — alongside DBT or Schema Therapy produces significantly better outcomes.
Your psychologist will assess which approach — or combination — is most appropriate for your specific presentation and history.
We understand that seeking help with BPD takes significant courage. Your first appointment is non-judgemental — we explore your history, current difficulties, and what you most want to change.
DBT skills training is a core part of our BPD work. You will leave each session with concrete, practical tools to use between sessions.
Treatment for BPD is typically longer-term — most people benefit from 12–24 months of consistent work. We will discuss realistic expectations and review progress regularly.
We offer appointments in-clinic at our Mooroolbark, Wheelers Hill, Reservoir, and Melbourne CBD locations, as well as Telehealth sessions from anywhere in Australia.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
Is BPD curable?
The evidence is clear: with evidence-based treatment, the majority of people with BPD achieve remission. The symptoms that cause the most impairment — self-harm, suicidality, and severe emotional episodes — typically improve first. Longitudinal research shows 85–88% remission at 10 years (Zanarini et al., 2010).
Do I need a formal diagnosis to access BPD treatment?
No. If you relate to the description of BPD and want to work on emotional regulation, relationships, and identity — you can access treatment without a formal diagnosis. Your psychologist will assess your presentation in the first session.
Is DBT available on Medicare?
Yes. Individual DBT sessions are covered under the standard Medicare mental health item numbers with a Mental Health Care Plan. Group DBT skills training is a separate service; discuss with your psychologist.
I’ve had bad experiences with previous treatment. Can you help?
Yes. Many people with BPD have had invalidating or unhelpful experiences with mental health services. We take this seriously. Our approach is explicitly validating — your emotional responses make sense given your history.
What if I’m currently self-harming?
You do not need to have stopped self-harming to start therapy — reducing and eventually stopping self-harm is often one of the key goals of treatment. DBT was specifically designed for people who self-harm.
BPD is treatable — and recovery is real. Our team understands what you’re going through and is here to help.
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Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (2009). Randomized controlled trial of outpatient mentalization-based treatment versus structured clinical management for borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 166(12), 1355–1364. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09040539
Giesen-Bloo, J., van Dyck, R., Spinhoven, P., van Tilburg, W., Dirksen, C., van Asselt, T., Kremers, I., Nadort, M., & Arntz, A. (2006). Outpatient psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63(6), 649–658. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.63.6.649
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.
Linehan, M. M., Korslund, K. E., Harned, M. S., Gallop, R. J., Lungu, A., Neacsiu, A. D., McDavid, J., Comtois, K. A., & Murray-Gregory, A. M. (2015). Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(5), 475–482. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039
Zanarini, M. C., Frankenburg, F. R., Reich, D. B., & Fitzmaurice, G. (2010). Time to attainment of recovery from borderline personality disorder and stability of recovery: A 10-year prospective follow-up study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(6), 663–667. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09081 24
