- Identify symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and associated stigmas
- Review the functionality of different crisis behaviors in BPD
- Understand the different modalities of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and differences with cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Implement DBT strategies to address crisis management with clients
Borderline Personality Disorder: Overcoming Clinical Challenges using Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Dr. Amanda Uliaszek, Psychologist
Master Dr. Uliaszek's 5-step crisis protocol for BPD: manage suicidality, repair alliance ruptures, reduce burnout using evidence-based DBT strategies
Excerpt:
- 2h30 of continuing education
- 20 lessons that last from 5 to 15 minutes each
- 1 certificate of achievement
- 1 PowerPoint
- 1 bibliography
- 1 course evaluation
- 7-day money back guarantee
- Unlimited access
- 97% of participants who completed the satisfaction survey declare they would recommend this course to a colleague
Overview
Crisis behaviors in borderline personality disorder often serve essential regulatory functions, yet they can threaten safety and strain therapeutic relationships. This paradox places clinicians in a position that requires both validation and active intervention, acceptance and change. The emotional intensity of this work can activate countertransference responses that, left unexamined, may inadvertently reinforce the very patterns that need addressing.
This course provides evidence-based strategies from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to navigate these clinical complexities. You will examine how stigma and invalidation create self-fulfilling cycles that increase crisis risk, and develop practical approaches for managing safety crises and alliance ruptures within session, grounded in radical behaviorism and mindfulness principles.
Throughout this training, you will:
- Integrate the biosocial model and four domains of dysregulation into your clinical formulations
- Implement a five-step crisis intervention protocol using validation and distress tolerance techniques
- Apply chain analysis to assess function and develop collaborative safety plans
- Strengthen alliance repair skills when boundaries are tested or ruptures occur
The course emphasizes practical integration rather than requiring full DBT implementation. You will use DBT skills modules as flexible tools that can be adapted across treatment modalities and settings — whether in private practice, hospital, or community mental health contexts. The focus is on refining your capacity to remain emotionally grounded during high-intensity moments while maintaining therapeutic precision.
By the end of this training, you will approach crisis behaviors with greater clinical confidence and reduced reactivity. You will have concrete methods for addressing suicidality, self-injury, and relational crises in real time — allowing you to sustain therapeutic presence and effectiveness even when sessions become unpredictable or emotionally demanding.
Accreditation
Ordre des Psychologues du Québec
Canadian Psychological Association
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
Collège des médecins du Québec
For physicians who practice psychotherapy, training recognized by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec is automatically considered as activities adopted by the Collège des médecins, in accordance with Article 3 of the Regulation.
For physicians who do not practice psychotherapy, the College evaluates each recognition request based on the following criteria:
- the relevance of the activity to the practice of the profession
- the skills and experience of the trainer
- the quality of the content and its adequacy with the physician's practice
- the pedagogical framework of the activity
- the quality of the documentation provided
- compliance with the training objectives set out in the regulation
- the presence of a certificate of participation or an evaluation
About the expert
Dr. Amanda Uliaszek is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and Director of the STEPP Lab (Study and Treatment of Emotion Dysregulation and Personality Pathology Laboratory), where she leads internationally recognized research on borderline personality disorder and dialectical behavior therapy outcomes.
As a registered clinical psychologist in Ontario with specialized training in cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavior treatments, Dr. Uliaszek bridges research innovation and frontline clinical practice. Her work focuses on the biosocial model of BPD, emotion dysregulation mechanisms, and evidence-based interventions that reduce suicide risk while improving therapeutic outcomes.
Dr. Uliaszek's clinical expertise addresses the real-world challenges clinicians face when treating BPD, including managing safety crises within session, repairing alliance ruptures in real time, and maintaining therapeutic effectiveness during high-intensity moments. She has developed practical crisis intervention protocols that can be integrated across treatment modalities and clinical settings without requiring full DBT program implementation.
Her current research portfolio includes developing BPD-BOOST, an anti-stigma intervention for individuals with BPD, and evaluating Family Connections, a DBT-based peer-led program for family members affected by suicide and BPD. Since establishing the STEPP Lab in 2011, she has maintained an active research program examining how stigma, invalidation, and therapeutic alliance dynamics impact treatment effectiveness for personality pathology.
Dr. Uliaszek emphasizes adaptable, evidence-based DBT strategies that clinicians can apply immediately in private practice, hospital, and community mental health contexts, helping practitioners maintain clinical confidence and reduce reactivity when sessions become unpredictable or emotionally demanding.
Learning objectives
Learning material
A theoretical course illustrated with clinical examples. This course is composed of videos of 5 to 15 minutes each. The PowerPoint of the course to download.
Syllabus
Borderline personality disorders often come with emotional, interpersonal, behavioral and self dysregulation which often manifest through crisis behaviors. To help alleviate the suffering associated with this complex condition, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy has proven highly effective.
This workshop, led by Dr. Uliaszek, a psychologist and researcher specialized in the field of BPD, will provide essential treatment guidelines to support your clients on their journey toward improved crisis management and healing.
First, the symptoms and dysregulation in BPD are reviewed to provide some understanding of the heterogenous presentation of the disorder. Second, BPD myths, stigma, and treatment difficulties are discussed to provide context and validation surrounding why some clinicians may be hesitant to work with those with BPD, as well as why crisis behaviors may be more primed to occur in those with BPD.
Third, two specific sets of BPD crisis behaviors are brought to focus: safety crises (suicide and non-suicidal self-injury) and relational crises (alliance ruptures and boundary violations). The functionality of these behaviors are described.
Fourth, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is introduced as a multi-model, cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention particularly apt at conceptualizing crisis behaviors in BPD. DBT skills group components are reviewed.
Finally, this workshop describes specific strategies for integrating components of DBT into any practice where crisis behaviors are occurring.
CE Credits
Download a certificate of successful completion.
Audience
This course is intended for mental health professionals.
Your comments
"This was a very helpful training."
A psychologist (Canada)
Registration
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Frequently asked questions
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Is there an evaluation at the end of the course?
To validate the achievement of the learning objectives, a final evaluation in the form of true/false questions is required. It must be completed in order to obtain the certificate of completion.
In addition, an optional self-assessment is offered at the beginning and end of the course, allowing you to measure your progress on the targeted skills.
These evaluations are not graded and are intended primarily to support your professional reflection.
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I have a disability. Can I receive specific support?
Yes! This training is offered as a pre-recorded video format, without subtitles. If you have a disability, we can provide an adapted alternative (technical assistance for viewing or individual supervision). For any request, please contact our disability coordinator at the following address: contact@asadis.net
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How long do I have access to the course?
After your registration, the course is accessible anytime and from anywhere with unlimited access.
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When does the course start?
That is entirely up to you! When you buy a course, you'll receive an access link that you can activate when you want.
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Is there a student rate?
Yes there is! To learn more, email us at contact@asadis.net.
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