The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Living with BPD

Alexander L. Chapman, PhD, RPsych, is professor, director of clinical training, and coordinator of the clinical science area in the psychology department at Simon Fraser University in Canada, as well as a registered psychologist and president of the DBT Centre of Vancouver. Chapman directs the Personality and Emotion Research Lab, where he studies the role of emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-harm, impulsivity, as well as other related issues. His research has been funded by major grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Chapman has received the Young Investigator’s Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD), the Canadian Psychological Association’s Scientist Practitioner Early Career Award, and a Career Investigator award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. Chapman has coauthored twelve books for consumers and clinicians. Board certified in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) (DBT-Linehan Board of Certification), Chapman cofounded a psychology practice focused on DBT, and regularly gives workshops and presentations to clinicians and community groups both nationally and internationally. He also has been practicing martial arts and mindfulness meditation for many years, and enjoys cooking, reading, outdoor activities, and spending time with his family.

Kim L. Gratz, PhD, is a senior clinical quality manager and clinical lead of the DBT program at Lyra Health. She also maintains an appointment in the department of psychology at the University of Toledo, where she previously served as professor and chair. Gratz directs the Personality and Emotion Research Lab, where her laboratory and treatment outcome research focus on the role of emotion dysregulation in BPD, suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury, and substance use, as well as the intergenerational transmission of BPD-relevant mechanisms. Gratz has received multiple awards for her research on personality disorders and self-injury, including the Young Investigator’s Award from the NEABPD in 2005, the Mid-Career Investigator Award from the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders in 2015, and the President’s Award for Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity from the University of Toledo in 2022. She was also recognized by the University of Toledo Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women as an Influential Woman (Innovator) for her research on BPD, self-injury, and emotion regulation. She has been continuously funded since 2003 (with continuous federal funding as principal investigator from 2008-2020), and has authored more than 240 peer-reviewed publications and seven books on BPD, self-injury, and DBT.

Perry D. Hoffman, PhD, is president and cofounder of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD). Hoffman has several grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) with a focus on families. She has coordinated over sixty conferences on the disorder, and is codesigner of the twelve-week psychoeducation course, Family Connections™, available in seventeen countries. In 2011, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) awarded Hoffman the Excellence in Community Mental Health Award. To find out more, visit www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com.