BPD therapists in Toronto can be a mixed bunch. Getting therapy for BPD isn’t always straightforward. People with BPD have different experiences and different needs. Therapists who are treating BPD also have different experiences and different capacities.
If you have BPD symptoms such as hyperreactivity, difficulties in personal relationships, and a pervasive sense of instability, you’ll want to find a therapist who can offer you the treatment you desperately want. So here are the top ten qualities to look for in a BPD therapist.
Quality #1: Availability
Sorry to start with the obvious, but a therapist won’t help you much if you or your therapist can’t connect for therapy. If you work during the day, does your therapist have evening or weekend availability? How flexible is your therapist with their time and energy? Does your therapist invite you to send emails in advance of your sessions, or reach out in emergencies?
Quality #2: Experience
It’s sad to admit, but there are a lot of therapists who advertise specialities that are more aspirational than experiential. They want to serve people with BPD, for instance, but they don’t really have any experience doing so. Treating clients with any personality disorder is challenging, because the therapist has to hold a different frame of reference than with other clients.
Quality #3: Training
Most graduate programs in psychotherapy offer their students a passing reference to treating BPD. You should look for a therapist who has competed further training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and preferably personality disorder therapy.
Also Read: Should You Opt For A Holistic Psychotherapist?
Quality #4: Supervision
It isn’t widely known by the public that most therapists are required to have a clinical supervisor for the first few years they serve clients. Sometimes this is just a matter of being new to Ontario rather than being new to the profession. However, treating BPD is hard, and it is a fair question to ask, “If I stump you, do you have an experienced colleague to talk to?”
Quality #5: Currency
Psychotherapy is not quite like riding a bicycle. A therapist can get out of touch with both the feel and the theory of treating BPD. If you are comparing BPD therapists in Toronto, think about preferring therapists who are currently working with other clients with BPD.
Quality #6: Interest
Psychotherapists are human beings, and most make their living doing psychotherapy. Sometimes therapists take clients that are not precisely their first choice. If you want to gauge how interested a therapist is in working with clients with BPD symptoms, ask your therapist the last book or journal article they read on treating BPD, the last webinar they attended, or the last continuing education course they took.
Quality #7: Assessment Capacity
Most therapists who are genuinely qualified to treat BPD will conduct a BPD assessment either in the consultation call or the first full session. Treating BPD is too important to simply rely on a diagnosis made by another clinician. Therapy for BPD requires a current assessment for BPD.
Quality #8: Clarity
You deserve a therapist with a clear theoretical appreciation of BPD. It’s often remarked, “If you can’t explain it to a layperson, you don’t really understand it.” It isn’t enough for a therapist to list BPD symptoms—anyone can do that. A genuine BPD therapist will be able to clearly state their framework for understanding and treating BPD.
Quality#9: Empathy
One of the hallmarks of Borderline Personality Disorder is a struggle to experience and express empathy. Won’t you want a therapist that is able to make you feel seen and heard? Won’t you want someone who can demonstrate empathy rather than simple describe it as a concept?
Quality #10: Fit
People with BPD are not entirely defined by BPD. You have strengths that should be considered, other issues that need to be addressed, and personal preferences regarding your choice of therapist. You don’t have to defend that you would prefer a male or female therapist or one that is LGBTQ+ informed. You may have personal reasons to prefer a therapist who is your own age, or older, or younger. You may prefer a therapist who is from a similar cultural background from yours—or a very different one. And sometimes it’s just about the “vibe,” the connection you feel or don’t feel right out of the gate. BPD therapists in Toronto come in all the variety of the population of the GTA, so it’s likely there is one that will work for you.
Getting the right therapist for you and the treatment of your BPD is not only for you, but for all those who know and love you—or will. Take your time. Book multiple consultations. Consider the qualities mentioned here and add considerations or your own. Choose the therapist that you believe will work for you and being what should be the journey of a lifetime. If you are looking for bpd therapy Toronto, fell free to contact us today.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of therapist is best for BPD?
Certified, trained, empathetic, and experienced therapists are best for BPD treatment. Hence, while looking for BPD therapists, ensure they have these qualities.