An exploratory study of interventions utilized in the treatment of borderline personality disorder

An exploratory study on current interventions used in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Tremendously complex and complicated, BPD clients are currently the most commonly diagnosed personality disorder clients in the mental health system. BPD clients are treated in a variety of settings, often by clinicians who have no specialized training in treating this difficult and challenging population. This lack of training can lead to a frustrating experience for both the client and the therapist. Therefore this study sought to gain information into the current interventions being used by experienced therapists working with the BPD population. Additionally this study sought insight into how these therapists are effected by working with this challenging population. Fifteen licensed therapists processing a L.C.S.W., M.F.T., Ph.D., or Psy.D. were interviewed for the study. Interviews with the therapists indicated that the setting of limits and boundaries was, in their view, an effective intervention when working with BPD clients. This study was able to gain deeper insight into the interventions the therapists' perceived as useful in clinical work with the challenging client population.