Supporting Change Through Understanding Neural Mechanism of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Join us as Dr Charlotte van Schie (psychologist and researcher) and Mahlie Jewell (art psychotherapist with a lived experience of BPD) discuss the brain and BPD in our upcoming webinar.

Recent research has informed and solidified our increasing understanding of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Specifically, neuroimaging studies have provided insights that are difficult to assess with self-report. Studies into underlying neural mechanisms have illuminated the understanding of emotion regulation, and how therapy may positively impact brain functioning. Moreover, neuroimaging studies are starting to provide further insights into self-functioning and interpersonal functioning in borderline personality disorder. Our understanding of the brain as adaptive and malleable in response to the (childhood) environment is a helpful framework for understanding the behaviours and symptoms that we may observe in clinical practice.

Charlotte, a research clinician and Mahlie, an art psychotherapist with lived experience will discuss the differential brain functioning observed in people with BPD, the role that childhood trauma may play in the development of brain functioning and clinical implications for understanding and working with people with BPD. Importantly, we address the understanding that the brain is adaptive and responsive to the environment, to both positive and negative events. This understanding may foster a compassionate way of working alongside people living with BPD. It may also help to describe the experiences of BPD to people living with BPD and encouraging understanding and compassion towards survival and trauma reactions.

In this presentation, we blend together scientific discussion with the lived experience perspective and provide information on how brain functioning may impact mental health and help-seeking for both psychological and medical support and demonstrate how this knowledge can support people living with BPD to understand themselves better and move past challenges they face using psychoeducation and art-based process and practice

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

The online forum is suitable for workers and clinicians from a range of mental health and allied health sectors who want to broaden their understanding of BPD.

PRESENTERS: 

Mahlie Jewell

Mahlie Jewell is a queer Wiradjuri woman living on Wangal land. Mahlie lives with BPD, CPTSD, dissociative disorder, fibromyalgia and both acquired and traumatic brain injuries sustained in both childhood and adulthood. She works in lived experience research and consultancy with Australian BPD Foundation and Project Air Strategy and in clinical practice with her private practice, Living Arts Therapy, and state and National LGBTIQA+ services. Mahlie holds a Masters degree in Art Psychotherapy and Counselling and is qualified in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, trauma-informed diversity practice and Intentional Peer Support (IPS). Her current clinical work highlights the use of art process and practice as survival, distress management, communication, exploration of the self and healing from trauma through structured bespoke DBT Art Therapy programs and open art therapy groups. She has a special interest in working to reduce the impact of self-stigma for people living with complex mental health issues and young queer people.

Charlotte van Schie

Dr Charlotte van Schie is a psychologist and research fellow with the Project Air Strategy. Her PhD focused on the self and interpersonal challenges that people living with borderline personality disorder experience. She has clinical training in the Netherlands and Australia working with children, adolescents, and adults. Charlotte is particularly interested in the role of childhood trauma in later psychopathology, the adolescent phase of identity development and the neurobiology of understanding self and others. She has published and presented internationally. 

For all email enquires please contact: rbrown@bpdfoundation.org.au