Stronger Together: Yale-National Education Alliance for Borderline Personally Disorder Annual Conference

The Yale–National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD / BPD Alliance) Conference is an annual interdisciplinary educational program focused on advancing the understanding, assessment, treatment, and support of individuals affected by borderline personality disorder (BPD) and related difficulties with emotion regulation.

Presented in collaboration with Yale School of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD Alliance), Yale Instruction/Investigation/Intervention in Emotional Lability and Dysregulation (YIELD), and other collaborating organizations, the conference brings together leading researchers, treatment developers, experienced clinicians, and individuals with lived experience.

Programming highlights current research and evidence-informed approaches to BPD while examining their application to clinical practice. Presentations address emerging developments in the understanding and treatment of BPD, clinical challenges encountered when working with individuals experiencing significant emotion dysregulation, and strategies for improving treatment engagement, outcomes, and support for patients and families. The integration of research, clinical expertise, and lived experience provides participants with a multidimensional understanding of BPD and its treatment.

The conference is designed to support mental health, medical and nursing professionals in translating contemporary research into thoughtful, evidence-informed clinical practice. Through expert presentations and opportunities for discussion and audience questions, participants are encouraged to critically examine current approaches to BPD assessment and treatment and consider how emerging knowledge may inform their work with individuals and families.

The program is appropriate for medical doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists, other behavioral health professionals, clinicians in training, researchers, and professionals whose work involves individuals affected by BPD or significant emotion dysregulation.

Learning objectives:

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:

1. Describe current research and clinical perspectives on borderline personality disorder (BPD), chronic emotion dysregulation, and factors associated with risk and resilience.

2. Identify mentalization and validation strategies that can be used to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and support individuals experiencing chronic emotion dysregulation.

3. Apply evidence-informed, skills-based strategies to address maladaptive interpersonal patterns and enhance interactions among individuals with BPD, family members, and couples.

4. Integrate research findings, clinical perspectives, and lived-experience perspectives to inform person-centered and family-informed approaches to supporting individuals with BPD and their loved ones.

Conference Program

9:00 AM ET
Registration Opens
Exhibit Hall Opens
In-person watch party locations only

9:45 AM Opening Remarks
Yale and NEABPD / BPD Alliance

10:00 AM
Lived Experience and Family Member Perspectives

10:30 AM
Keeping Minds in Mind: Mentalization Skills for Stronger Connections
Christella Dwyer, Lesley Nott and Elisabeth Gunter
An introduction to mentalization skills and their use in understanding ourselves and other people more accurately, particularly during emotionally intense interactions.

11:30 AM
Break

11:45 AM
The Science and Practice of Validation: What  Decades of Research Tells Us About Supporting People with Chronic Emotion Dysregulation
Alan Fruzzetti
This session will examine the research behind validation and its practical application when supporting people who experience chronic emotion dysregulation.

12:45 PM
Lunch, Exhibit Hall and Poster Session

1:45 PM
The Power of Skills: Changing Relationships One Interaction at a Time
Marie-Paule de Valdivia
A skills-focused session examining ways everyday interactions can influence relationships and support healthier communication.

2:45 PM
Lightning Round
Brief presentations featuring clinical and lived-experience perspectives.

3:15 PM
Break and Exhibit Hall

3:30 PM
The Brain, BPD, and the Family: What Science Is Teaching Us About Risk and Resilience

Anthony Ruocco
An examination of current scientific findings related to BPD, the brain, family factors, risk, and resilience.

4:30 PM
Us Against the Pattern: Helping Couples and Families Navigate Emotion Dysregulation Together

John Mader
A session focused on helping couples understand and respond to emotion dysregulation while strengthening their ability to work together.

5:30 PM
Closing Remarks and Awards

6:00 PM
Conference Concludes