Welcome
When I founded Willow Tree Counselling in Vancouver, I made a conscious decision to welcome people with diagnosed or suspected borderline personality disorder.
From my years of experience working in public mental health, I learnt that clients with borderline personality were chronically over-served by emergency psychiatric services and under-served when it came to skilled, ongoing therapeutic support and counselling.
When clients with BPD contact Willow Tree Counselling, the most common comment I receive is, “It is so hard to find a counsellor who treats borderline personality disorder.” I also hear, “I’ve been looking for such a long time for a therapist who would be willing to see me.” Or, “I’ve been told by other therapists that I need to see someone who specializes in borderline personality.”
Clients with BPD, or suspected BPD seek out my services for a variety of reasons, including:
- They are unable to access counselling or therapy within the public mental health system
- They choose not to receive treatment at a public mental health team
- They are seeking therapy to complement the care they are receiving from their private psychiatrist
- They are seeking a therapist with significant experience in treating BPD
- They identify needing a safe, accepting therapeutic environment and also understand, and appreciate the necessity of being challenged to work through their difficulties
- Are open to learning new coping and life-enriching skills
- They are a family member of a sufferer seeking support, understanding and skills
My Approach
At my downtown Vancouver therapy office, I see clients both with and without a diagnosis of BPD. A diagnosis is not critical: we examine the problems and or/symptoms that bring you to therapy, which guide the choice of therapeutic approach.
American psychologist Marsha Linehan developed dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for use with chronically suicidal patients as she found that the standard cognitive behavioural treatment that she was using did not go far enough to help with this population of people. As I work in a private (solo) practice setting, I offer a modified DBT approach (in traditional DBT treatment, for example, concurrent skills training groups are also a mandatory part of the therapy). Depending on your personality and goals for therapy, I also draw on other therapeutic approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy, solution focused therapy, mindfulness training and humanistic therapies. I always work within a strengths-based perspective.
Willow Tree Counselling May Be For You if You…
- Have a desire to make improvements in your life. You want your life to get better and are willing to put in the time and effort to make this happen
- Are able to commit to attending regular counselling appointments
- Are interested in learning and practicing new skills
- Can tolerate a therapist who believes in your capacity for personal growth
- Are not currently seeing another individual therapist/counsellor or mental health team. Outside group therapy is generally OK, and in some cases even encouraged. Some of my clients also see private psychiatrists, which is typically not a conflict of interest
- Understand that at this time, I am unable to provide phone or email crisis counselling in between appointments; You may, of course, call me to schedule an earlier appointment
- Understand that imminent threats to commit suicide are taken seriously; I will always call for medical back-up in such situations
A Message to Family Members:
I am also passionate about helping family members who have a loved one with borderline personality. Often family members wait until they are at the end of their rope before seeking help and support. Most commonly, families request my guidance when it comes to setting boundaries, improving communication and developing avenues for self-care. Loving someone with borderline personality can be a grueling experience. It may be enough at first to survive, but ultimately you can thrive!
I encourage you to call or email me for a consultation to help you discover whether I am the counsellor who is right for you. I also welcome your questions about my approach and professional experience. I look forward to hearing from you!
