About This Event
Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Well-Being
Four Webinar Series: April 23, April 30, May 7, May 21
7:00 PM EST Webinar via Zoom
Join us for a special BPD Month Webinar Series on the theme of Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Well-Being.
Tickets for BPDFest25 will grant registrants access to all four Zoom links for each webinar.
- 17 People with Lived Experience from around the US and Abroad
- 4 BPD researcher-clinicians who are subject matter experts
- Diverse Perspectives on the BPD recovery journey
- Educational Resources and Peer Tips will be shared
Tickets for BPDFest25 will grant registrations access to all four webinars. Zoom links will be sent to registrants ahead of each webinar. There are special registration options for students and people with lived experience, as well as limited scholarship opportunities by application (see below for more information).
BPDFest25 conference registration fees help fund Emotions Matter's free BPD Peer Support groups and programs throughout the year. For more information, email info@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Webinar Descriptions
Webinar #1 - Title: “Self-Love and Joy on Path to Wellness”
Date: April 23 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: Borderline personality disorder can affect self-identity, which is how a person perceives themselves in the world, including their beliefs, values, group memberships, interests, or abilities. This can create a sense of internal emptiness, self-hatred, or shame. BPD treatments emphasize helping people with BPD gain a clear sense of who they are in relation to others, and a more stable sense of self. People with lived experience report that finding hobbies, personal passions, intellectual and vocational pursuits, or relationships that bring joy are primary to developing self-love which is part of recovery. This panel will include a clinician in dialogue with people with lived experience of BPD who will discuss the role that self-love and joy has played on their wellness journey.
Panelists: Maria Solomon, LCSW-R, Barbara Fernandez, Kellin Brownewell, Zephrah Soto, Clyde Clark, with Alyssa Gross as Moderator
Webinar #2 - The Journey to Diagnosis and Care
Date: April 30, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) allows a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder in people as young as 12, many professionals are hesitant to make the diagnosis until later adolescence or adulthood. Professionals often lack training in diagnosing BPD, often leading to misdiagnosis. This panel will provide information on how and why early diagnosis can help prevent the development of symptoms and pathways to care. Youth and adults will share their lived experiences about how they navigated stigma, advocated for a diagnosis, and its impact on their recovery. While this panel highlights the experiences of young people, the content around getting a diagnosis and management stigma connects with people at all ages and stages of recovery.
Panelists: Dr. Alex Sheppe, Brianna Hauser, Haniel Tracey, and Ashley Botty, with Shay Welch, PhD as Moderator
Webinar #3 - Title: The Journey from Stigma to Healing
Date: May 7, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: Stigma affects the lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD) on multiple levels. Public and structural stigma create barriers to care, contribute to harmful misperceptions about the disorder, and produce powerful self-stigma. This panel will provide information about the research on BPD stigma, and feature people with lived experience who will share strategies for how they have addressed stigma on their journey toward recovery and in society.
Panelists: Sara Masland, PhD, Victoria Fouch, Alex Kehoe, and Morgan Sweeney with Sara Rosenberg as Moderator
Webinar #4 Title: The Journey to Find Community
Date: May 21, 2025 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: BPD is experienced differently by each individual person, depending on their symptoms and how symptoms affect their thoughts, behaviors, relationships and functioning. How BPD symptoms affect diverse gender identities is not well researched in the field BPD. Did you know that research suggests the prevalence of BPD is equal for men and women? Yet fewer men receive the diagnosis. Men often report unique experiences of the BPD symptoms based on their gender and challenges accessing care.They also report utilizing strengths and creative abilities to experience well-being and recovery. Join this panel to learn more about the male experience of BPD and recovery, led by people with lived experience from Emotions Matter's Men's Support Group.
Panelists: Oliver MacDonald, Bradford Lawrason, Clyde Clark, and Andre Grant, with Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas as Moderator
Panelist Biographies
Webinar #1 - Title: “Self-Love and Joy on Path to Wellness”
Date: April 23 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Kellin Brownewell (he/they)
Bio: Kellin graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently a Case Worker. As someone who has been through sexual abuse, emotional abuse, addiction, suicidal ideation, etc., Kellin has collected many diagnoses over the years; however, the diagnosis Kellin feels is the most impactful on him and others is borderline personality disorder. Kellin hopes to prove to people that there are positives of BPD.
Speaker: Clyde Clark (he/him)
Bio: Clyde lives in Eastern Oregon with his amazing dog, Guy. After years of recovery from BPD, OCD, and Schizoaffective Disorder, he spends his time as a mentor, peer advocate, and life-long student. He advocates for the power of healthy habits, growing purpose, and heroic-level journaling.
Speaker: Barbara Fernandez (she/her)
Bio: Barbara Fernandez, born in the United States but made in Paris, is a professional standup comedian, voiceover artist, and singer. A rather late-in-life diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (at age 58, at the start of COVID) finally helped her understand her aborted relationships, identity crises, and professional hopscotch (she has had 28 different jobs).
At the end of two years of DBT treatment, Barbara emerges with, for the first time, a sense of who she is. She is someone who wants to make a difference to the world in the only way that will enable her to use her favorite talents: she is a musical comedian.
Speaker: Maria Solomon, LCSW-R (she/her)
Bio: Maria Solomon, LCSW-R is a Senior Clinical Social Worker at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Payne Whitney Day Treatment Program.
She has expertise in diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in inpatient, outpatient and intensive day-treatment settings. Ms. Solomon supervises the social work staff and student interns at Payne Whitney. She also practices as a private psychotherapist, providing clinical services including consultation, assessment, referral, and psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families. Ms. Solomon is active in community organizations that support borderline personality disorder, including peers at Emotions Matter and as a trainer for Family Connections with the National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder.
Speaker: Zephrah Soto (she/her)
Bio: Zephrah is a mental health advocate, educator, and certified Peer Support Specialist, passionate about dismantling the stigma surrounding Borderline Personality Disorder. With a BFA in Recorded Music from NYU, she began her career in the music industry before transitioning to psychology, where she is completing her BS in Psychology at Brooklyn College. Her lived experience with BPD drives her work at the intersection of self-identity, trauma recovery, and community support, where she focuses on fostering understanding and empowerment through education and research. She is also committed to amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices in mental health spaces, ensuring more inclusive and affirming conversations. Zephrah plans to pursue a career as a psychologist, furthering her passions for research, academia, and advocacy. She looks forward to sharing her insights on the path to wellness.
Moderator: Alyssa Gross (she/her)
Bio: For years, Alyssa has dedicated herself to the healing process and is in recovery from borderline personality disorder (a diagnosis that she received in 2018). Part of Alyssa’s life worth living includes being a peer facilitator and trainer as a part-time staff member with Emotions Matter where she can use the skills of making meaning and contribution within the BPD community. She appreciates the opportunity to foster and develop emerging leaders living with BPD as the next empowering step on their journey. Since 2022, Alyssa has volunteered with the Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC) on their social media committee because Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a treatment that greatly benefited her own life. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys playing guitar, creating memes, practicing yoga, and playing with her adorable cat (Sky). She is grateful to be part of the Emotions Matter team! You can reach her via email at peers@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Webinar #2 - The Journey to Diagnosis and Care
Date: April 30, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Ashley Botty, MBA (she/her)
Bio: Ashley Botty was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) at 17, in 2007, after years of trying to figure out what was really going on. That diagnosis changed everything—it gave her a way to understand her experiences and finally start getting the right kind of support. Ashley knows firsthand how hard it can be to navigate stigma, push for answers, and find care that actually helps. After building a career in human resources, Ashley transitioned into entrepreneurship and now uses her experience to advocate for people with BPD—especially in the workplace and professional settings. She knows firsthand how stigma and lack of understanding can make getting a diagnosis and proper care harder than it needs to be. Through sharing her story, she hopes to make those conversations easier for others and push for better pathways to care, making sure others don’t have to fight so hard to be heard.
Speaker: Brianna Hauser (she/her)
Bio: Brianna is a 17-year-old from Philadelphia who is in 11th grade. She has lived experience and has been struggling with BPD for a while now and has dealt with self-destructive behaviors and suicidal tendencies. She was told that it is very likely that she has BPD by her first psychiatrist but it took a couple of years to get officially diagnosed because of her age. Although Brianna has multiple diagnoses, borderline personality disorder is the one that has affected her life the most. Brianna hopes to help educate about BPD in adolescents and how BPD can affect someone’s life.
Speaker: Alexander H. Sheppe, MD (he/him)
Bio: Alexander H. Sheppe, M.D. is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City, and an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Sheppe is passionate about and is a nationally recognized expert in the assessment and treatment of personality disorders in adolescents and young adults. Dr. Sheppe has experience with all major psychotherapeutic treatments for personality disorders including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mentalization-based treatment (MBT), and especially transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) where he adapts the treatment to adolescents (TFP-A). He teaches postgraduate courses at Columbia University on the assessment and treatment of youth with personality disorders, supervises postgraduate trainees in psychodynamic psychotherapy, engages in clinical research and publishes on TFP-A, and lectures at international conferences.
Dr. Sheppe recently joined the Emotions Matter Board and is excited to lend his experience as a clinician to such an important organization that so passionately and effectively raises awareness and advocates for those impacted by BPD. Several of his mentors, including Frank Yeomans and Maria Solomon, have contributed to Emotions Matter, and he hopes to honor them by contributing in his own way.
Speaker: Haniel Tracey (she/her)
Bio: Haniel Tracey is a dedicated mental health advocate and recent author committed to empowering others on the possibility of living a fulfilling life despite a mental health diagnosis. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder at 19, she transformed her journey of self-discovery into a mission to support others navigating mental health challenges. Originally from St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, she moved to the U.S. at age ten and developed a deep passion for psychology and human connection. Haniel has worked with organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and as a counselor for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and integrates her passion for mental health, spirituality, and storytelling to foster healing and self-discovery in the communities she serves.
Moderator: Dr. Shay Welch (she/her)
Bio: Dr. Shay Welch is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Spelman College and is currently the Scholar-in-Residence for the city of Atlanta’s public art project entitled “Public Performance Art as Resistance to Epistemic Injustice.”
Dr. Welch is a published author and teaches courses on freedom, embodied knowledge, embodied cognition, dance, systemic oppression, ethics, sex, feminism, and Native American Philosophy. Her professional goals are to support and mentor young women of color in Philosophy and to aid the discipline in recruiting and retaining more underrepresented young philosophers. She is especially passionate about supporting first-generation students and students with cognitive and affective disorders.
Webinar #3 - Title: The Journey from Stigma to Healing
Date: May 7, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Victoria Fouch (she/her)
Bio: Victoria is a 22-year-old who has lived experience with BPD. She is an advocate for the destigmatization of borderline personality disorder after facing differential treatment due to her diagnosis. Ms. Fouch is currently on Emotions Matter’s volunteer advocacy committee, while participating in their Key Platforms and Initiatives group, as well as their “BPD In Our Own Words” workshops. She is passionate about sharing her story of stigma to bring awareness to the discrimination that people with borderline personality disorder face not only from society, but also from mental health professionals.
Speaker: Alex Kehoe (he/him)
Bio: Alex is a school social worker from Long Island, NY and was diagnosed with BPD at the age of 12. His hope for this webinar is to share a bit about how the stigma around BPD has impacted the way he views himself and the world, and the ways he has learned to overcome this stigma as a professional in the mental health field.
Speaker: Dr. Sara Masland (she/her)
Bio: Dr. Masland is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in personality disorders. She is a trainer in Good Psychiatric Management (GPM) for borderline personality disorder, and co-chairs an international research committee focused on enhancing and expanding access to GPM. She aims to advance the understanding and treatment of personality disorders while promoting greater accessibility to effective interventions. She is a previous member of the Emotions Matter board, and she currently serves on the board for the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (NASSPD). She received her B.A. from Bowdoin College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital and is currently an Associate Professor at Pomona College in Claremont, CA.
Speaker: Morgan Catherine Sweeney (she/her)
Bio: Morgan Catherine serves as a volunteer on the Emotions Matter Education Committee. She brings her own lived experience with borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as a background in research and leadership, to help serve others with BPD. Having gone through her own recovery process, Morgan is passionate about expanding what it means to recover from BPD, and hopes to spread awareness about how possible it really is to live a meaningful, fulfilling, and happy life. Professionally, Morgan worked in corporate management for 10 years and is now a first-year medical student hoping to specialize in psychiatry. In her personal time, she enjoys scuba diving, spending time with her twin daughters, and debating medical topics with her girlfriend.
Moderator: Sara Rosenberg (she/her)
Bio: Sara Rosenberg serves as one of the Board Co-Chairs of Emotions Matter, focusing on programs and operations. As someone with lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD), Sara is deeply passionate about raising awareness and advocating for those affected by BPD. She draws from her own recovery journey to inspire and connect with others. Professionally, Sara is a licensed Financial Advisor and Private Wealth Manager, dedicated to helping her clients build and secure their financial futures.
Webinar #4 Title: The Journey to Find Community
Date: May 21, 2025 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Clyde Clark (he/him)
Bio: Clyde lives in Eastern Oregon with his amazing dog, Guy. After years of recovery from BPD, OCD, and Schizoaffective Disorder, he spends his time as a mentor, peer advocate, and life-long student. He advocates for the power of healthy habits, growing purpose, and heroic level journaling.
Speaker: Andre Grant (he/him)
Bio: Andre is an Emotions Matter board member and a mental health advocate. He loves working out, reading, and is an avid movie buff. He enjoys exploring nature, hiking, and volunteering with blood banks and food shelters. He is excited to advocate to a bigger audience and strives to make change for those with BPD.
Speaker: Bradford Lawrason (he/him)
Bio: Bradford is 42 with a Masters degree in marketing and international business. He has worked in the alcoholic beverage industry for the past 15 years, much of which has defined who he is. He has lived abroad in The Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States. Brad is someone with lived experience with BPD and has struggled with anxiety, depression, codependency, self harm, substance abuse and a loss of identity most of his life. Through therapy, community, and believing that there is a better life to be lived, he has overcome many of these challenges.
Speaker: Oliver MacDonald (he/him)
Bio: Oliver is a 44-year-old man from Guelph, Ontario, Canada who lives with Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, PDD, and Addiction. He is a father to an 8-year-old son and has been married to his wife for 24 years. He currently supports the Emotions Matter Executive Board as Vice-Chair and is a Peer Facilitator for Emotions Matter. Additionally, Oliver is a dedicated Board Member to the Guelph Minor Baseball Association and is a patient/family advisor on the Patient & Family Advisory Council for the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team. He currently works full-time for the Province of Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment Commission as the Compliance Program Supervisor and Senior Provincial Offenses Officer. Oliver focuses every day on living in recovery.
Moderator: Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas (he/him)
Bio: Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan. As PI of the Stigma, Psychopathology, & Assessment (SPLAT) Lab, his research interests lie in understanding dimensional models of psychopathology, and applying them to improve assessment, conceptualization, and intervention among marginalized populations. His research most recently has been focused on understanding factors related to elevated prevalence of borderline personality disorder among LGBTQ+ populations. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas’s clinical training lies in providing evidence-based, affirming interventions for sexual and gender minority individuals. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. He completed his undergraduate training in psychology at the University of the West Indies, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Stony Brook University. He completed his predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University in the Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) program.
Scholarship Information
Emotions Matter has a limited number of scholarships available for a free ticket to our upcoming BPDFest25 Webinar Series, Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Wellness. Please complete the following application via Google form.
Upon completion of this form, one of our staff will be in contact with you. You can expect a reply by mid-April prior to the start of BPDFest25. Scholarships will be distributed on a first come first served basis. There is a limit of ONE ticket per scholarship applicant.
The deadline to apply for a BPDFest 2025 ticket Scholarship is April 14, 2025.If you have any questions, please email us at info@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Disclaimer
Emotions Matter's BPFest25 Webinar Series does not take the place of medical advice or treatment. If any any time during the webinar you find yourself overwhelmed or struggling for any reason in need of support, we encourage you to reach out to your support system. You are welcome to take a break at any time and participate voluntarily. https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/crisis-resources
Registrants will be asked to complete pre and post meeting surveys to provide feedback about the group experience and help Emotions Matter learn more about the needs of the BPD community. Support and educational reosurces will be shared.
Registraton required. Those who register will be emailed the Zoom meeting link with instructions before the Webinar.
Questions? Email us at info@emotionsmatterbpd.org with any questions. www.emotionsmatterbpd.org
About This Event
Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Well-Being
Four Webinar Series: April 23, April 30, May 7, May 21
7:00 PM EST Webinar via Zoom
Join us for a special BPD Month Webinar Series on the theme of Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Well-Being.
Tickets for BPDFest25 will grant registrants access to all four Zoom links for each webinar.
- 17 People with Lived Experience from around the US and Abroad
- 4 BPD researcher-clinicians who are subject matter experts
- Diverse Perspectives on the BPD recovery journey
- Educational Resources and Peer Tips will be shared
Tickets for BPDFest25 will grant registrations access to all four webinars. Zoom links will be sent to registrants ahead of each webinar. There are special registration options for students and people with lived experience, as well as limited scholarship opportunities by application (see below for more information).
BPDFest25 conference registration fees help fund Emotions Matter's free BPD Peer Support groups and programs throughout the year. For more information, email info@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Webinar Descriptions
Webinar #1 - Title: “Self-Love and Joy on Path to Wellness”
Date: April 23 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: Borderline personality disorder can affect self-identity, which is how a person perceives themselves in the world, including their beliefs, values, group memberships, interests, or abilities. This can create a sense of internal emptiness, self-hatred, or shame. BPD treatments emphasize helping people with BPD gain a clear sense of who they are in relation to others, and a more stable sense of self. People with lived experience report that finding hobbies, personal passions, intellectual and vocational pursuits, or relationships that bring joy are primary to developing self-love which is part of recovery. This panel will include a clinician in dialogue with people with lived experience of BPD who will discuss the role that self-love and joy has played on their wellness journey.
Panelists: Maria Solomon, LCSW-R, Barbara Fernandez, Kellin Brownewell, Zephrah Soto, Clyde Clark, with Alyssa Gross as Moderator
Webinar #2 - The Journey to Diagnosis and Care
Date: April 30, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) allows a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder in people as young as 12, many professionals are hesitant to make the diagnosis until later adolescence or adulthood. Professionals often lack training in diagnosing BPD, often leading to misdiagnosis. This panel will provide information on how and why early diagnosis can help prevent the development of symptoms and pathways to care. Youth and adults will share their lived experiences about how they navigated stigma, advocated for a diagnosis, and its impact on their recovery. While this panel highlights the experiences of young people, the content around getting a diagnosis and management stigma connects with people at all ages and stages of recovery.
Panelists: Dr. Alex Sheppe, Brianna Hauser, Haniel Tracey, and Ashley Botty, with Shay Welch, PhD as Moderator
Webinar #3 - Title: The Journey from Stigma to Healing
Date: May 7, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: Stigma affects the lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD) on multiple levels. Public and structural stigma create barriers to care, contribute to harmful misperceptions about the disorder, and produce powerful self-stigma. This panel will provide information about the research on BPD stigma, and feature people with lived experience who will share strategies for how they have addressed stigma on their journey toward recovery and in society.
Panelists: Sara Masland, PhD, Victoria Fouch, Alex Kehoe, and Morgan Sweeney with Sara Rosenberg as Moderator
Webinar #4 Title: The Journey to Find Community
Date: May 21, 2025 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Description: BPD is experienced differently by each individual person, depending on their symptoms and how symptoms affect their thoughts, behaviors, relationships and functioning. How BPD symptoms affect diverse gender identities is not well researched in the field BPD. Did you know that research suggests the prevalence of BPD is equal for men and women? Yet fewer men receive the diagnosis. Men often report unique experiences of the BPD symptoms based on their gender and challenges accessing care.They also report utilizing strengths and creative abilities to experience well-being and recovery. Join this panel to learn more about the male experience of BPD and recovery, led by people with lived experience from Emotions Matter's Men's Support Group.
Panelists: Oliver MacDonald, Bradford Lawrason, Clyde Clark, and Andre Grant, with Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas as Moderator
Panelist Biographies
Webinar #1 - Title: “Self-Love and Joy on Path to Wellness”
Date: April 23 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Kellin Brownewell (he/they)
Bio: Kellin graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently a Case Worker. As someone who has been through sexual abuse, emotional abuse, addiction, suicidal ideation, etc., Kellin has collected many diagnoses over the years; however, the diagnosis Kellin feels is the most impactful on him and others is borderline personality disorder. Kellin hopes to prove to people that there are positives of BPD.
Speaker: Clyde Clark (he/him)
Bio: Clyde lives in Eastern Oregon with his amazing dog, Guy. After years of recovery from BPD, OCD, and Schizoaffective Disorder, he spends his time as a mentor, peer advocate, and life-long student. He advocates for the power of healthy habits, growing purpose, and heroic-level journaling.
Speaker: Barbara Fernandez (she/her)
Bio: Barbara Fernandez, born in the United States but made in Paris, is a professional standup comedian, voiceover artist, and singer. A rather late-in-life diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (at age 58, at the start of COVID) finally helped her understand her aborted relationships, identity crises, and professional hopscotch (she has had 28 different jobs).
At the end of two years of DBT treatment, Barbara emerges with, for the first time, a sense of who she is. She is someone who wants to make a difference to the world in the only way that will enable her to use her favorite talents: she is a musical comedian.
Speaker: Maria Solomon, LCSW-R (she/her)
Bio: Maria Solomon, LCSW-R is a Senior Clinical Social Worker at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Payne Whitney Day Treatment Program.
She has expertise in diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in inpatient, outpatient and intensive day-treatment settings. Ms. Solomon supervises the social work staff and student interns at Payne Whitney. She also practices as a private psychotherapist, providing clinical services including consultation, assessment, referral, and psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families. Ms. Solomon is active in community organizations that support borderline personality disorder, including peers at Emotions Matter and as a trainer for Family Connections with the National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder.
Speaker: Zephrah Soto (she/her)
Bio: Zephrah is a mental health advocate, educator, and certified Peer Support Specialist, passionate about dismantling the stigma surrounding Borderline Personality Disorder. With a BFA in Recorded Music from NYU, she began her career in the music industry before transitioning to psychology, where she is completing her BS in Psychology at Brooklyn College. Her lived experience with BPD drives her work at the intersection of self-identity, trauma recovery, and community support, where she focuses on fostering understanding and empowerment through education and research. She is also committed to amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices in mental health spaces, ensuring more inclusive and affirming conversations. Zephrah plans to pursue a career as a psychologist, furthering her passions for research, academia, and advocacy. She looks forward to sharing her insights on the path to wellness.
Moderator: Alyssa Gross (she/her)
Bio: For years, Alyssa has dedicated herself to the healing process and is in recovery from borderline personality disorder (a diagnosis that she received in 2018). Part of Alyssa’s life worth living includes being a peer facilitator and trainer as a part-time staff member with Emotions Matter where she can use the skills of making meaning and contribution within the BPD community. She appreciates the opportunity to foster and develop emerging leaders living with BPD as the next empowering step on their journey. Since 2022, Alyssa has volunteered with the Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC) on their social media committee because Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a treatment that greatly benefited her own life. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys playing guitar, creating memes, practicing yoga, and playing with her adorable cat (Sky). She is grateful to be part of the Emotions Matter team! You can reach her via email at peers@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Webinar #2 - The Journey to Diagnosis and Care
Date: April 30, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Ashley Botty, MBA (she/her)
Bio: Ashley Botty was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) at 17, in 2007, after years of trying to figure out what was really going on. That diagnosis changed everything—it gave her a way to understand her experiences and finally start getting the right kind of support. Ashley knows firsthand how hard it can be to navigate stigma, push for answers, and find care that actually helps. After building a career in human resources, Ashley transitioned into entrepreneurship and now uses her experience to advocate for people with BPD—especially in the workplace and professional settings. She knows firsthand how stigma and lack of understanding can make getting a diagnosis and proper care harder than it needs to be. Through sharing her story, she hopes to make those conversations easier for others and push for better pathways to care, making sure others don’t have to fight so hard to be heard.
Speaker: Brianna Hauser (she/her)
Bio: Brianna is a 17-year-old from Philadelphia who is in 11th grade. She has lived experience and has been struggling with BPD for a while now and has dealt with self-destructive behaviors and suicidal tendencies. She was told that it is very likely that she has BPD by her first psychiatrist but it took a couple of years to get officially diagnosed because of her age. Although Brianna has multiple diagnoses, borderline personality disorder is the one that has affected her life the most. Brianna hopes to help educate about BPD in adolescents and how BPD can affect someone’s life.
Speaker: Alexander H. Sheppe, MD (he/him)
Bio: Alexander H. Sheppe, M.D. is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City, and an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Sheppe is passionate about and is a nationally recognized expert in the assessment and treatment of personality disorders in adolescents and young adults. Dr. Sheppe has experience with all major psychotherapeutic treatments for personality disorders including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mentalization-based treatment (MBT), and especially transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) where he adapts the treatment to adolescents (TFP-A). He teaches postgraduate courses at Columbia University on the assessment and treatment of youth with personality disorders, supervises postgraduate trainees in psychodynamic psychotherapy, engages in clinical research and publishes on TFP-A, and lectures at international conferences.
Dr. Sheppe recently joined the Emotions Matter Board and is excited to lend his experience as a clinician to such an important organization that so passionately and effectively raises awareness and advocates for those impacted by BPD. Several of his mentors, including Frank Yeomans and Maria Solomon, have contributed to Emotions Matter, and he hopes to honor them by contributing in his own way.
Speaker: Haniel Tracey (she/her)
Bio: Haniel Tracey is a dedicated mental health advocate and recent author committed to empowering others on the possibility of living a fulfilling life despite a mental health diagnosis. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder at 19, she transformed her journey of self-discovery into a mission to support others navigating mental health challenges. Originally from St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, she moved to the U.S. at age ten and developed a deep passion for psychology and human connection. Haniel has worked with organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and as a counselor for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and integrates her passion for mental health, spirituality, and storytelling to foster healing and self-discovery in the communities she serves.
Moderator: Dr. Shay Welch (she/her)
Bio: Dr. Shay Welch is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Spelman College and is currently the Scholar-in-Residence for the city of Atlanta’s public art project entitled “Public Performance Art as Resistance to Epistemic Injustice.”
Dr. Welch is a published author and teaches courses on freedom, embodied knowledge, embodied cognition, dance, systemic oppression, ethics, sex, feminism, and Native American Philosophy. Her professional goals are to support and mentor young women of color in Philosophy and to aid the discipline in recruiting and retaining more underrepresented young philosophers. She is especially passionate about supporting first-generation students and students with cognitive and affective disorders.
Webinar #3 - Title: The Journey from Stigma to Healing
Date: May 7, 2025 Webinar 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Victoria Fouch (she/her)
Bio: Victoria is a 22-year-old who has lived experience with BPD. She is an advocate for the destigmatization of borderline personality disorder after facing differential treatment due to her diagnosis. Ms. Fouch is currently on Emotions Matter’s volunteer advocacy committee, while participating in their Key Platforms and Initiatives group, as well as their “BPD In Our Own Words” workshops. She is passionate about sharing her story of stigma to bring awareness to the discrimination that people with borderline personality disorder face not only from society, but also from mental health professionals.
Speaker: Alex Kehoe (he/him)
Bio: Alex is a school social worker from Long Island, NY and was diagnosed with BPD at the age of 12. His hope for this webinar is to share a bit about how the stigma around BPD has impacted the way he views himself and the world, and the ways he has learned to overcome this stigma as a professional in the mental health field.
Speaker: Dr. Sara Masland (she/her)
Bio: Dr. Masland is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in personality disorders. She is a trainer in Good Psychiatric Management (GPM) for borderline personality disorder, and co-chairs an international research committee focused on enhancing and expanding access to GPM. She aims to advance the understanding and treatment of personality disorders while promoting greater accessibility to effective interventions. She is a previous member of the Emotions Matter board, and she currently serves on the board for the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (NASSPD). She received her B.A. from Bowdoin College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital and is currently an Associate Professor at Pomona College in Claremont, CA.
Speaker: Morgan Catherine Sweeney (she/her)
Bio: Morgan Catherine serves as a volunteer on the Emotions Matter Education Committee. She brings her own lived experience with borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as a background in research and leadership, to help serve others with BPD. Having gone through her own recovery process, Morgan is passionate about expanding what it means to recover from BPD, and hopes to spread awareness about how possible it really is to live a meaningful, fulfilling, and happy life. Professionally, Morgan worked in corporate management for 10 years and is now a first-year medical student hoping to specialize in psychiatry. In her personal time, she enjoys scuba diving, spending time with her twin daughters, and debating medical topics with her girlfriend.
Moderator: Sara Rosenberg (she/her)
Bio: Sara Rosenberg serves as one of the Board Co-Chairs of Emotions Matter, focusing on programs and operations. As someone with lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD), Sara is deeply passionate about raising awareness and advocating for those affected by BPD. She draws from her own recovery journey to inspire and connect with others. Professionally, Sara is a licensed Financial Advisor and Private Wealth Manager, dedicated to helping her clients build and secure their financial futures.
Webinar #4 Title: The Journey to Find Community
Date: May 21, 2025 7:00 p.m. EST Zoom
Speaker: Clyde Clark (he/him)
Bio: Clyde lives in Eastern Oregon with his amazing dog, Guy. After years of recovery from BPD, OCD, and Schizoaffective Disorder, he spends his time as a mentor, peer advocate, and life-long student. He advocates for the power of healthy habits, growing purpose, and heroic level journaling.
Speaker: Andre Grant (he/him)
Bio: Andre is an Emotions Matter board member and a mental health advocate. He loves working out, reading, and is an avid movie buff. He enjoys exploring nature, hiking, and volunteering with blood banks and food shelters. He is excited to advocate to a bigger audience and strives to make change for those with BPD.
Speaker: Bradford Lawrason (he/him)
Bio: Bradford is 42 with a Masters degree in marketing and international business. He has worked in the alcoholic beverage industry for the past 15 years, much of which has defined who he is. He has lived abroad in The Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States. Brad is someone with lived experience with BPD and has struggled with anxiety, depression, codependency, self harm, substance abuse and a loss of identity most of his life. Through therapy, community, and believing that there is a better life to be lived, he has overcome many of these challenges.
Speaker: Oliver MacDonald (he/him)
Bio: Oliver is a 44-year-old man from Guelph, Ontario, Canada who lives with Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, PDD, and Addiction. He is a father to an 8-year-old son and has been married to his wife for 24 years. He currently supports the Emotions Matter Executive Board as Vice-Chair and is a Peer Facilitator for Emotions Matter. Additionally, Oliver is a dedicated Board Member to the Guelph Minor Baseball Association and is a patient/family advisor on the Patient & Family Advisory Council for the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team. He currently works full-time for the Province of Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment Commission as the Compliance Program Supervisor and Senior Provincial Offenses Officer. Oliver focuses every day on living in recovery.
Moderator: Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas (he/him)
Bio: Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan. As PI of the Stigma, Psychopathology, & Assessment (SPLAT) Lab, his research interests lie in understanding dimensional models of psychopathology, and applying them to improve assessment, conceptualization, and intervention among marginalized populations. His research most recently has been focused on understanding factors related to elevated prevalence of borderline personality disorder among LGBTQ+ populations. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas’s clinical training lies in providing evidence-based, affirming interventions for sexual and gender minority individuals. Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. He completed his undergraduate training in psychology at the University of the West Indies, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Stony Brook University. He completed his predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University in the Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) program.
Scholarship Information
Emotions Matter has a limited number of scholarships available for a free ticket to our upcoming BPDFest25 Webinar Series, Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: Pathways to Wellness. Please complete the following application via Google form.
Upon completion of this form, one of our staff will be in contact with you. You can expect a reply by mid-April prior to the start of BPDFest25. Scholarships will be distributed on a first come first served basis. There is a limit of ONE ticket per scholarship applicant.
The deadline to apply for a BPDFest 2025 ticket Scholarship is April 14, 2025.If you have any questions, please email us at info@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Disclaimer
Emotions Matter's BPFest25 Webinar Series does not take the place of medical advice or treatment. If any any time during the webinar you find yourself overwhelmed or struggling for any reason in need of support, we encourage you to reach out to your support system. You are welcome to take a break at any time and participate voluntarily. https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/crisis-resources
Registrants will be asked to complete pre and post meeting surveys to provide feedback about the group experience and help Emotions Matter learn more about the needs of the BPD community. Support and educational reosurces will be shared.
Registraton required. Those who register will be emailed the Zoom meeting link with instructions before the Webinar.
Questions? Email us at info@emotionsmatterbpd.org with any questions. www.emotionsmatterbpd.org