Personality disorders
Personality disorder treatment
Enhance treats borderline and other personality disorders, using DBT for borderline personality disorder. You can get care in outpatient therapy, or at a higher level when you need more support.
(714) 862-19074.9 from 448 Google reviews
Clinically reviewed by Christina Khouie, MA, LMFT, our founder, on September 30, 2026. Enhance is accredited by The Joint Commission and certified by the California Department of Health Care Services.
Check your coverage
Send us three details and we’ll check what your plan covers, then call you back.
Lasting patterns
What is a personality disorder, and how is it treated?
Personality disorder treatment is mainly therapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy, for lasting patterns of thinking, feeling and relating to others.
NIMH describes personality disorders as mental health conditions with rigid patterns that cause problems at work, in relationships or in daily life. A hard month on its own is not a personality disorder.
Borderline personality disorder
Emotions can spike, relationships can swing, and self-harm or feelings of emptiness can be part of it. Therapy is the core of care, and our DBT page explains the skills it teaches.
Other personality disorders
We also assess and treat avoidant, narcissistic and other personality disorders. Your clinician looks at your specific pattern instead of treating them all as one condition.
If you are thinking about suicide or are in danger right now, call 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.
What personality disorder treatment includes
Treatment for personality disorders is built around therapy, with psychiatric care for specific symptoms when your team thinks it will help.
Dialectical behavior therapy
DBT teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal skills, and it was developed for borderline personality disorder.
Group therapy and DBT groups
Groups led by a licensed therapist, where adults practice DBT skills together and apply them to relationships and daily life.
Individual therapy
One-to-one sessions with a licensed therapist on the emotional and relationship patterns that keep repeating.
Family therapy
Sessions with family members, when you agree to them, so relatives learn how to respond when emotions spike.
Medication management
A licensed psychiatrist may prescribe medications for specific symptoms, such as depression or anxiety, alongside your therapy.
Care for co-occurring conditions
When trauma, mood disorders or substance use disorders come with a personality disorder, your team treats them in the same plan.
When to call
Reasons to ask for an assessment
People often ask for a personality disorder assessment for reasons like these, and only a clinician can diagnose one.
- Your relationships keep going through the same fights and makeups.
- A small slight can feel like being abandoned.
- You think about self-harm or suicide when your emotions spike.
- You feel empty even when nothing seems wrong.
- Anger or shutting down is causing problems at work.
Medication is not the main treatment
- NIMH describes medication as help for specific symptoms.
- Therapy is the main treatment, especially for BPD.
- Your prescriber decides whether medication fits.
If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Levels of care
Outpatient, IOP, and residential care
DBT skills work for personality disorders happens in an outpatient program or IOP, and residential care is there for a crisis.
Inpatient
- Where you sleep
- On site, with clinical staff
- How much of your week
- All of it
- Who it suits
- Needs more than a day program
- What usually comes next
- PHP
Partial hospitalization (PHP)
- Where you sleep
- At home
- How much of your week
- Most of each day
- Who it suits
- Can sleep at home safely
- What usually comes next
- IOP
Intensive outpatient (IOP)
- Where you sleep
- At home
- How much of your week
- Part of the week
- Who it suits
- Keeping up work or school
- What usually comes next
- Outpatient
Outpatient
- Where you sleep
- At home
- How much of your week
- Regular sessions
- Who it suits
- Doing well with therapy
- What usually comes next
- Ongoing care
Admissions will tell you on the first call which level of care fits your situation.
Related care
Related therapies and conditions
Treatment can include DBT and group therapy, and your assessment also checks for trauma, depression and substance use.
What happens when you call
See what happens when you call admissions or send us the form.
You call, or send the form
You tell admissions what is happening and whether you think personality disorder treatment might fit.
We check your benefits
With your permission, we contact your insurer and find out what your plan covers.
You hear what it means
Admissions explains your deductible, your copay and which level of care your plan supports, in plain terms.
You decide
If you want to go ahead, admissions walks you through what happens next.
Benefits vary from plan to plan, and checking them does not guarantee coverage.
(714) 862-1907Cost and coverage
What your plan may cover
What you pay depends on your deductible, your copay and the level your insurer approves. Admissions checks your benefits with the insurer and tells you the figures before you decide anything.
We're in network with most insurance plans. If your plan isn't listed, call us and we'll check it for you.
Some plans we accept
- Ambetter
- MHN
- CalPERS
- Covered California
Common questions about personality disorder treatment
If your question is not answered here, call admissions at (714) 862-1907.
What is the most effective treatment for borderline personality disorder?
Therapy is the core of treatment, and DBT is the method with the clearest research behind it for BPD. It cannot guarantee a result, and our DBT page explains the skills it teaches.
What are the types of personality disorders?
Clinicians group personality disorders into three clusters. Cluster A covers paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder. Cluster B covers antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. Cluster C covers avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
What causes personality disorders?
Researchers think personality disorders come from a mix of genes, early experiences such as trauma, and the ways a person learned to cope. No single cause explains them, and they are not a choice.
How is a personality disorder diagnosed?
A licensed mental health professional diagnoses it through a clinical interview about your patterns over time, not a single test. They also check for mood disorders, anxiety disorders and trauma, which can look similar.
Can you live an ordinary life with a personality disorder?
Many people work and keep relationships with ongoing therapy, though no one can promise that for a specific person. During a crisis, getting care comes first.
What happens when a personality disorder is left untreated?
The same patterns can keep repeating at work and in relationships, and some people develop depression or substance use along the way. Treatment aims to improve functioning and quality of life, though it cannot promise a result.
What coping skills help?
DBT teaches distress tolerance and emotion regulation for moments when feelings spike, and interpersonal skills for relationships, alongside mindfulness. You practice these four skill sets over time.
Are there other therapies for BPD besides DBT?
Mentalization-based therapy and transference-focused psychotherapy are other approaches studied for borderline personality disorder. At Enhance, DBT is the core method, and your therapist explains how it fits your plan.
Are medications used to treat personality disorders?
Medications are not the main treatment for personality disorders, but they may help with symptoms such as depression, anxiety or mood swings. A licensed psychiatrist decides whether they fit your plan.
Which levels of care treat personality disorders?
Most treatment for personality disorders happens in outpatient care or IOP, so DBT skills can be practiced in daily life. PHP and residential care are for a crisis or for symptoms that are not safe to manage at home.
Can personality disorders occur with substance use or depression?
Yes, and it is common. Our dual diagnosis care treats substance use disorders alongside a personality disorder, and your plan also covers depression or eating disorders when they are present.
What is the hardest personality disorder to treat?
We do not rank personality disorders by difficulty. What matters is which pattern you are dealing with and which therapy fits it. BPD is covered first here because DBT was built for it.
Does insurance cover treatment for borderline personality disorder?
Coverage depends on your plan, your deductible and the level of care your insurer approves. Admissions checks your benefits with your insurer before you start, and verification does not guarantee coverage.
How can family members support a loved one in treatment?
Family members can learn calm ways to respond, set clear limits and avoid blame. When the person in treatment agrees, family therapy can be part of the plan.
Ask admissions about personality disorder treatment
You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to call. Admissions will tell you whether DBT fits and which level of care makes sense.
Enhance Health Group14742 Newport Ave STE 208, Tustin, CA 92780