Emotions Matter Presents: Demystifying Borderline Personality Disorder, An Educational Workshop on April 9 2026

Emotions Matter Educational Workshop

Thursday, April 9, 2026 via Zoom

7pm EST, 6pm CST, 5pm MST, 4pm PST

Demystifying Borderline Personality Disorder: A Workshop to Inspire Hope, Education and Healing

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health diagnosis that impacts up to 1.6% of the population. Yet, most people don't know about it.  Information about BPD on the internet is often unreliable, due to stigma or misinformation. It is also hard to find trained health care providers to treat BPD.

This can create despair among people and family members who are newly diagnosed. It can be challenging to know where to turn and what to do when one suspects they may have BPD.

Join Emotions Matter's Educational Workshop, "Demystifying Borderline Personality Disorder," to

• Improve understanding of borderline personality disorder 

• Correct misperceptions or stigma

• Hear from people with lived experience of BPD

• Illuminate pathways to recovery 

• Meet the Emotions Matter Community 

• Learn practical peer tips and share recovery resources

Presenter Bios

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 is a member of Emotions Matter's Board of DIrectors.

Brianna Hauser is an 18 year old from Philadelphia who recently graduated high school. 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.

Ashley Botty, MBA, 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.

Session will last 75 minutes.  Discussion will focus on education and support with an emphasis on sharing lived experiences in a judgement free, compassionate environment. 

Space is limited to 30 participants.  Registraton required.

Registration Fees:

• BPD Lived Experience: $20
• General Admission: $30

Registration will be emailed the Zoom meeting link with instructions on the registration receipt, and will receive a reminder email prior to the meeting.

This discussion does not take the place of medical advice or treatment. There will be resources available for those seeking more information about BPD. Participants will receive handouts with resources as part of registration fee.

Questions?  Email info@emotionsmatterbpd.org.