Goodbye Borderline Personality Disorder, Hello Emotion Regulation Disorder - Chelsea Cuffaro

Chelsea is a dedicated mental health advocate who strives to amplify the voices of those who are often misunderstood or struggle in silence. Her profound ability to deeply connect with others and meet them where they are in their journey arises from her own lived experience with borderline personality disorder (BPD). She has served as the Lived Experience Coordinator at the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health in Montreal and a graduate student in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. She aspires to become a clinician-researcher to address the systemic barriers to accessing care and the unmet needs of youth.

Description of talk: Should the label of BPD change? Are the misconceptions associated with the diagnosis inherently tied to the name of the disorder itself? Is BPD really treatment resistant? Is there a better label to describe the symptoms? This CEYMH experiential science talk will discuss the stigma, and misconceptions associated with BPD through the lens of Chelsea’s lived experience and her journey to recovery and offer guidance for future considerations.

IMPORTANT: Please note that this seminar discusses topics of suicide and self-harm.