Borderline Personality Disorder: Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies That Work!
If you are working with people, whether it is in the therapeutic setting or in an organisation providing support, the odds are that at some point you will encounter a client with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We all know how challenging it is to help people with BPD, especially within the limited scope of treatment allowed by managed care programs. Regardless of what our limitations are, we have the obligation to our clients and to ourselves to stay up to date with the modalities and practical strategies that are useful in working with this client population so that when we have a window of opportunity to assist, we know how to go about it.
Join Dr Jeffrey Riggenbach, an internationally renowned presenter and author who specialises in personality disorders, and learn about working with clients who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder. Drawing from a variety of evidence-based approaches, Dr Riggenbach will summarise and explain in detail what is known about BPD and how this disorder can be effectively treated. He will present the powerful tools you can introduce to your client as you are helping him/her to cope with BPD. You will be able to teach your client how to:
- Become more empowered and stable in in midst of crises
- Cope with intense feelings
- Retrain the brain to constructively deal with distorted thoughts
- Take control of emotions before they take control of the client’s life.
- Create a happier, healthier and more productive life!
Among other things, you will learn about seven evidence-based treatments for BPD, maladaptive Schemas that drive BPD destructive behaviours, the behavioural pattern breaking interventions to help clients break lifelong destructive cycles and the motivations that drive suicidal and para-suicidal behaviours. Treatment implications of these behaviours will also be discussed.
Dr Riggenbach will also talk about the distinct roles of individual treatment versus group treatment. Then, he will focus on 18 behavioural skills training interventions for symptom management and eliminating destructive behaviours. He will also talk about three cognitive strategies for changing thought processes that drive problematic target behaviours. And, most importantly, he will also show you how you can spot three warning signs that will allow you to be super effective if relapse is about to take place. The corresponding treatment and relapse prevention plans will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify 7 evidence-based treatments for borderline personality disorder
- Learn the 18 maladaptive Schemas that drive BPD destructive behaviours
- Utilize three behavioural pattern breaking interventions to help clients break lifelong destructive behavior all cycles
- Understand the 8 motivations that drive suicidal and para suicidal behaviours in individuals with BPD and treatment implications for each
- Distinguish between individual treatment versus group treatment and understand the distinct roles for each when treating BPD
- Learn 18 behavioural skills training interventions for symptom management and eliminating destructive behaviours
- Acquire 3 cognitive strategies strategies for changing thought processes driving target behaviours
- Learn 3 warning signs for relapse prevention and corresponding treatment strategies for each
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Pay once for lifetime access.
Course Duration: 7 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Lifetime Access: Your access to the course does not expire, so you can revisit key concepts anytime you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
High-conflict personalities, treatment-resistant clients, and complex cases involving borderline personality disorder can leave clinicians feeling frustrated and ineffective - but these challenging presentations don't have to derail therapeutic progress. Jeff Riggenbach has spent over 20 years developing practical, evidence-based tools that help transform how practitioners work with their most difficult cases, earning him international recognition as "the practical tools guy" and becoming one of the world's most sought-after trainers in cognitive behavioral interventions.
As a three-time bestselling, award-winning author and Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, Dr. Riggenbach brings unparalleled expertise in translating complex therapeutic concepts into immediately usable clinical tools. His books The CBT Toolbox and The BPD Toolbox (Amazon #1 new release) have become essential resources for practitioners worldwide, while his latest work Disarming High Conflict Personalities addresses one of the most challenging aspects of clinical and organisational work. His training at the Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research, combined with 20 years directing CBT-based treatment programs in psychiatric hospitals where he served over 3,000 clients, gives him deep understanding of what actually works with resistant populations.
Dr. Riggenbach's expertise spans Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Schema-Focused Cognitive Therapy, personality disorders treatment (especially Borderline Personality Disorder), trauma and addiction, and high-conflict personality management. His approach bridges the gap between academic research and frontline clinical reality, showing practitioners how to adapt evidence-based techniques for clients who don't fit textbook presentations. He specialises in cases where traditional therapy approaches have failed, particularly with clients who are hostile, manipulative, or treatment-resistant.
What sets his training apart is practical applicability under real-world conditions. Riggenbach doesn't just teach theory - he shows clinicians exactly what to say and do when facing their most challenging moments. His international training reach across all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, UK, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa demonstrates his ability to adapt techniques across diverse populations and practice settings.
For your practice, expect to gain specific intervention scripts for difficult situations, tools for managing your own emotional responses to challenging clients, and frameworks for maintaining therapeutic progress with treatment-resistant cases. His approach particularly benefits clinicians working in high-stress environments, those dealing with personality disorders, or practitioners who feel burned out from difficult cases.
Quick Win: Riggenbach's "emotional regulation interrupt" technique helps clinicians quickly de-escalate volatile therapeutic situations while maintaining professional boundaries - helping to prevent session ruptures and keeping treatment on track.
Qualifications
- Ph.D., Christian Counseling
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Oklahoma, current
- Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
- Certified Cognitive Therapist, Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research, Philadelphia
- John Maxwell Team Certified Speaker/Trainer/Coach
- Certified Behavioral Consultant
- 20+ years clinical experience
Authored Books
- Disarming High Conflict Personalities: Dealing with the 8 Most Difficult People in Your Life Before You Burnout (latest release)
- The BPD Toolbox: A Practical Evidence-Based Guide to Regulating Intense Emotions (2016, Amazon #1 new release, award-winning)
- The CBT Toolbox: A Workbook for Clients, Clinicians and Coaches (2012, 1st and 2nd editions, bestseller)
- Seven total publications
Professional Experience
- International Speaker/Trainer/Coach, John Maxwell Team, current
- Clinical Director, Private Practice/Consulting, current
- Award-Winning Author & Behavioral Consultant, Tulsa, OK, current
- APA & NBCC/ACEP Approved Provider, Continuing Education Credits, current
- Director, CBT-based treatment programs, Two psychiatric hospitals (20 years, served 3,000+ clients)
- Treatment Program Developer, Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, BPD programs, Two psychiatric hospitals
- Staff Member, Brookhaven Psychiatric Hospital, Tulsa, OK
International Training Reach
- Trained audiences in all 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, UK, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland
- Conference keynote addresses and specialised workshops worldwide
Ready to work confidently with your most challenging clients? Discover how Dr. Riggenbach's practical, evidence-based tools can help transform your ability to achieve breakthrough results with treatment-resistant cases while maintaining your own professional well-being.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 5
- Topics 0
- Duration 7 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English