Bipolar Personality Disorder (BPD) Treatment Santa Monica
A Whole-Person, Trauma-Informed Approach
In our work together, we’ll look at the bigger picture of your life—not just a diagnosis or a list of behaviors. That can include your current stressors, your routines, your relationships, and what actually matters to you day to day. We might map out patterns that keep repeating, notice what tends to trigger intense reactions, and identify the situations where you most want things to feel different. From there, we can start building specific skills and supports that fit your real life, rather than forcing you into a rigid model.
My role is to offer a steady, grounded space where we can be curious together about what’s happening, and where your experiences are taken seriously. We’ll move at a pace that feels tolerable, checking in about what’s helpful and what’s not, and making room for both insight and concrete change—whether that means improving communication, setting boundaries, managing urges, or creating more stability in your daily life.
When Emotions Feel Like Too Much
If you’re struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it might feel like your emotions are always just beneath the surface, ready to spill over. You may worry about people leaving, notice relationships swinging between feeling very close and suddenly tense, or feel like your sense of self changes depending on who you’re with. Many people I see for treatment here in Santa Monica describe feeling both “too much” and “not enough” at the same time. These experiences can be overwhelming and isolating, but they are also understandable responses to what you’ve lived through—not evidence that something is wrong with who you are.
How BPD Can Show Up in Everyday Life
While every person is unique, people I work with often describe:
Feeling emotions very intensely and for a long time
Sudden mood shifts that feel confusing or out of control
A deep fear of rejection or abandonment, even in small interactions
Unstable or “all-or-nothing” relationships
Impulsive behaviors (spending, substances, sex, self-harm, or risky choices)
Chronic feelings of emptiness, shame, or being “too much”
Anger that feels hard to manage, or that turns inward
Feeling misunderstood, stigmatized, or afraid to seek help
These patterns are not character flaws. They often make sense in the context of trauma, invalidating environments, attachment disruptions, and nervous system dysregulation.
Therapeutic Tools and Supports We May Use
Your treatment plan is collaborative and tailored to your needs. It may involve:
DBT-informed skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and healthier relationships
Mindfulness and compassion-based practices to create a pause between feeling and reacting
Somatic and trauma-informed approaches to support nervous system regulation
Lifestyle and psychiatric interventions, when appropriate, to support mood, sleep, and daily functioning
Healing, Connection, and What’s Possible
My aim is to help you build emotional resilience, develop more secure and stable relationships, and cultivate a kinder, more grounded relationship with yourself. Change is possible. You are not “too much,” and you do not have to navigate any of this alone.