Austin Group for Counseling
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, PhD, LCSW
Verified Verified
Bronxville, NY 10708
We are professionally trained therapists with diversified competencies, certifications and expertise, to provide the most suitable counseling help. We remain sensitive to your spiritual framework and belief system, whatever they may be. As a counseling group, we are committed to providing affordable and effective counseling to persons of all social and cultural backgrounds. We are happy to say, we accept most health insurances!
We are professionally trained therapists with diversified competencies, certifications and expertise, to provide the most suitable counseling help. We remain sensitive to your spiritual framework and belief system, whatever they may be. As a counseling group, we are committed to providing affordable and effective counseling to persons of all social and cultural backgrounds. We are happy to say, we accept most health insurances!
(914) 785-6629 View (914) 785-6629
Photo of Hayley McLemore, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in New York
Hayley McLemore
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified Verified
Central Islip, NY 11722  (Online Only)
A Deaf Licensed Social Worker. Currently serving the state of New York. Navigating life's challenges is never easy, but reaching out for help is a brave first step to living a more genuine and fulfilling life. I have expertise in working with individuals struggling with childhood trauma and trauma-related symptoms such as grief, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relational conflict. I believe every person is unique and deserves to be listened to and understood in an empathetic way. I am passionate about creating a safe, kind, collaborative and judgment-free space where you can attain new insights, experience new feelings.
A Deaf Licensed Social Worker. Currently serving the state of New York. Navigating life's challenges is never easy, but reaching out for help is a brave first step to living a more genuine and fulfilling life. I have expertise in working with individuals struggling with childhood trauma and trauma-related symptoms such as grief, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relational conflict. I believe every person is unique and deserves to be listened to and understood in an empathetic way. I am passionate about creating a safe, kind, collaborative and judgment-free space where you can attain new insights, experience new feelings.
(516) 628-6089 View (516) 628-6089
Borderline Personality (BPD) Therapists

What is the most successful approach to treating borderline personality disorder?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is considered the gold standard of treatment for borderline personality disorder. An evidence-based treatment, it addresses the extreme emotional reactivity, the relationship difficulties, and the acts of self-harm that create so much distress for BPD patients. DBT is a comprehensive program that includes both regular individual psychotherapy sessions and weekly group sessions of skills training.

What happens in treatment of borderline personality disorder?

Treatment typically consists of weekly individual therapy sessions that last an hour and group skill-focused instructional sessions that may last up to two hours. Patients are typically given homework “assignments” in which they are asked to practice in their daily life the skills they acquire in therapy. Patients also keep a diary tracking their emotions and impulses as a way to know which situations are most problematic and to help them gain control over their own behavior. Difficult situations and feelings are typically reviewed in therapy sessions and more constructive solutions found.

What kinds of problems does BPD treatment help with?

DBT was initially developed to dampen the self-destructive impulses of chronically suicidal patients. It is now the treatment of choice for borderline personality disorder, a serious condition marked by extreme emotional reactivity, relationship instability, and self-injurious behaviors. Treatment of BPD helps patients tolerate the flux of emotions without acting on them, often with a specific focus on tolerating negative emotions. DBT addresses the core problems of BPD—fear of abandonment, low self-esteem, and impulsivity.

What is the goal of treatment in borderline personality disorder?

The goal of treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) is to relieve the extreme emotional distress that patients experience—to curb their emotional reactivity, to minimize their inclination to self-harm, and to reduce their impulsivity. Toward these ends, patients are not only taught an array of new coping skills and techniques for emotional regulation, they are given opportunities to practice them. Another major goal of treatment is interpersonal effectiveness; patients learn and problem-solve ways to effectively communicate in relationships, especially how to ask for what they need as a way to minimize hurt feelings.