Specialty
Personality Disorders Therapy
Who can benefit from personality disorder therapy?
Living with a personality disorder can affect how you see yourself, relate to others, and respond to the world around you. You may find yourself experiencing intense emotions, challenges with self-image, difficulties in relationships, or long-standing patterns of thinking and behavior that feel confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to change. These experiences don't mean something is wrong with who you are — they mean you deserve support that helps you better understand these patterns and develop healthier ways of navigating them.
At Havencrest Wellness & Counseling, we provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy for adults and teens experiencing personality disorders throughout Washington. Our licensed therapists work collaboratively with you to better understand your experiences, identify long-standing patterns that may be contributing to emotional distress or relationship difficulties, and develop practical strategies that support healthier relationships, emotional regulation, and overall wellbeing.
Whether you've recently been diagnosed with a personality disorder, have been living with one for some time, or recognize patterns you'd like to better understand, we're here to support you every step of the way.
Take the first step today by scheduling an appointment with one of our therapists.
Personality disorders affect everyone differently. If you're experiencing any of the following challenges and they're affecting your wellbeing or ability to navigate everyday life, therapy may help.
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- — Experiencing intense or rapidly shifting emotions that feel overwhelming or difficult to manage.
- Relationship difficulties
- — Recognizing recurring patterns of conflict, trust, communication, or instability that make relationships difficult to maintain.
- Changes in self-image or identity
- — Feeling uncertain about who you are, experiencing an unstable sense of self, or struggling with self-worth.
- Impulsive behaviors or difficulty tolerating distress
- — Finding it difficult to pause before acting, manage distress, or cope with overwhelming emotions.
- Difficulty coping with change or rejection
- — Feeling overwhelmed by change, uncertainty, rejection, or perceived criticism.
- Fear of abandonment
- — Worrying about losing important relationships or feeling highly sensitive to perceived rejection.
- Difficulty trusting others or feeling understood
- — Finding it hard to trust people, feeling misunderstood, or struggling to feel connected in relationships.
- Living with a personality disorder
- — Whether you've recently been diagnosed or have been living with a personality disorder for some time, therapy can help you better understand your experiences and develop practical strategies for everyday life.
- Wanting additional support as part of your treatment
- — Looking to complement your existing treatment plan with therapy that supports emotional wellbeing, relationships, and everyday functioning.
- Family or relationship challenges
- — Seeking support to improve communication, strengthen relationships, or navigate the impact these patterns may have on family or loved ones.
Depending on your unique needs and goals, you may also find support through our dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mood disorders, or medication management services.
Understanding personality disorders
Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by long-standing patterns of thinking, feeling, relating to others, and responding to situations that can affect everyday life, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.
These patterns often develop over time and may be influenced by a combination of life experiences, relationships, temperament, and other biological and environmental factors. Every person's experiences are unique, and personality disorders exist on a spectrum, meaning no two people experience them in exactly the same way.
Understanding your experiences allows us to develop a personalized approach that reflects your unique strengths, challenges, values, and goals.
How we support personality disorders
Our goal is to help you better understand your experiences, strengthen emotional regulation, improve relationships, and develop practical strategies that support lasting emotional wellbeing. Your therapy is tailored to your unique experiences, strengths, goals, and the challenges you're navigating.
Depending on your unique needs and goals, therapy may include:
Building emotional regulation skills (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps strengthen emotional regulation, improve distress tolerance, build healthier relationships, and develop practical coping strategies for managing intense emotions.
Learn more about Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) →Understanding thought patterns (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you better understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while identifying patterns that may be contributing to emotional distress or relationship difficulties.
Learn more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) →Building psychological flexibility (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you respond to difficult thoughts and emotions with greater flexibility while supporting you to make choices that align with your values and long-term goals.
Supporting healing from past experiences (trauma-informed therapy)
For some individuals, difficult or traumatic life experiences may contribute to emotional distress and relationship challenges. Trauma-informed therapy provides a safe, supportive environment to explore these experiences while supporting healing and personal growth.
Learn more about Trauma & PTSD →Strengthening relationships
Therapy can help you better understand relationship patterns, improve communication, build trust, and develop healthier ways of relating to others.
Learn more about Couples Counseling →What to expect during personality disorder therapy
Your first session is focused on understanding your experiences, current challenges, strengths, and goals.
Together, you and your therapist will:
- Build a trusting therapeutic relationship where you feel heard, respected, and understood.
- Explore your experiences, strengths, and the challenges that are most important to you.
- Work collaboratively with you to develop personalized therapy goals.
- Begin introducing practical strategies that support your wellbeing and everyday life.
- Regularly review your progress together, adapting your approach as your needs and goals evolve.
As therapy progresses, you'll continue developing practical skills that build on your strengths, support your wellbeing, and help you navigate everyday life with greater confidence.
If meeting in person isn't convenient, we also offer secure telehealth appointments throughout Washington.
Insurance
Insurance coverage for personality disorder therapy varies by provider and plan. Our team is happy to help you understand your benefits, verify your coverage, and discuss your options before your first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Can therapy help with personality disorders?
Yes. With the right support, many people experience meaningful improvements in emotional regulation, relationships, and overall wellbeing. Therapy can help you better understand your experiences, develop healthier coping strategies, and build more fulfilling relationships over time.
Do you treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
Yes. Our therapists provide evidence-based therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and other personality disorders. Depending on your unique needs and goals, treatment may include dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, and other evidence-based approaches tailored to your individual experiences.
Is online therapy available for personality disorders?
Yes. Many people successfully participate in therapy through secure telehealth sessions. Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to determine whether telehealth or in-person therapy is the best fit based on your needs, goals, and comfort level.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Contact us, or read our full FAQs.
Schedule your first appointment today.
Long-standing patterns can change with the right support. We'll help you understand yours and find the therapist whose approach feels right for you.