Personality disorders are grouped into three “clusters” based on shared characteristics. We primarily treat Cluster B and Cluster C personality disorders in our outpatient programs.
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Personality disorders aren’t character flaws — they’re long-standing patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating that developed for good reasons but now cause suffering. Asana Recovery’s outpatient personality disorder treatment in Orange County uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) — the gold-standard evidence-based treatment developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan — alongside Schema Therapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you build emotional regulation skills, healthier relationships, and a life worth living. Programs available across PHP, IOP, Virtual IOP, and Standard Outpatient levels of care.
Our primary treatment focus; BPD especially responds well to DBT. Antisocial PD typically requires specialized settings — we provide assessment and referrals.
Personality disorders involve long-standing patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that differ significantly from cultural expectations and cause distress or impairment. These patterns typically emerge in adolescence or early adulthood and affect how you perceive yourself, relate to others, and regulate emotions.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 9.1% of U.S. adults have at least one personality disorder. Despite being common, personality disorders are often misunderstood, stigmatized, and undertreated—many people suffer for years without receiving the specialized help that can make a real difference.
At Asana Recovery, we provide compassionate, evidence-based treatment for personality disorders through our Orange County outpatient programs — Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Virtual IOP for California residents, and Standard Outpatient. Each level offers the intensive support needed for meaningful change, with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as our foundation and the same clinical team supporting clients across every level of care.
Personality disorders—especially borderline personality disorder—carry significant stigma, even within the mental health field. We want you to know: we don’t view personality disorders as “untreatable” or “manipulative.” We see people in pain who developed coping strategies that made sense at the time but now cause problems. With proper treatment, people with personality disorders can and do get better. You deserve the same compassion and quality care as anyone else.
Personality disorders are grouped into three “clusters” based on shared characteristics. We primarily treat Cluster B and Cluster C personality disorders in our outpatient programs.
Often treated in specialized settings; we provide assessment and referrals
Our primary treatment focus; responds well to DBT
Treated with DBT, CBT, and anxiety-focused approaches
BPD is characterized by intense emotions, unstable relationships, fear of abandonment, identity disturbance, and impulsive behaviors. It’s the most researched personality disorder, and DBT was specifically developed to treat it. With proper treatment, most people with BPD experience significant improvement.
Learn About BPD Treatment →
Involves a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy—often masking deep insecurity and vulnerability. Treatment focuses on building genuine self-esteem and healthier relationships.
Learn About NPD Treatment →
Characterized by extreme sensitivity to rejection, feelings of inadequacy, and avoidance of social situations. More than shyness—it’s pervasive and significantly limits life opportunities.
Learn About AvPD Treatment →
Involves excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behavior. Often develops from early experiences of inconsistent caregiving or overprotection.
Learn About DPD Treatment →
Pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking. Treatment helps develop more stable sense of self and healthier ways to get emotional needs met.
Learn About HPD Treatment →
BPD is our most commonly treated personality disorder, and it’s frequently misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety. Key features include:
Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined rejection
Intense, stormy patterns of idealization and devaluation
Unstable sense of self, values, goals, or self-image
Risky behaviors in spending, sex, substances, driving
Recurrent self-injury or suicidal behaviors/threats
Rapid, intense mood shifts lasting hours to days
Persistent feelings of emptiness or boredom
Difficulty controlling anger; frequent outbursts
Stress-related paranoid thoughts or dissociation
You don’t need all nine symptoms to have BPD—five or more indicate a diagnosis. Many people with BPD also have co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, or substance use disorders.
If You’re in Crisis: If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or go to your nearest emergency room. Personality disorders involve real pain — but real, effective support is available right now.
If your emotions feel overwhelming, your relationships are chaotic, or you struggle with your sense of self, specialized treatment can help. You don’t have to keep suffering.
Personality disorders require specialized treatment approaches. Traditional talk therapy alone is typically insufficient—you need structured, skills-based treatment that addresses the specific patterns underlying your struggles.
DBT was specifically developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for borderline personality disorder and is now the most evidence-based treatment for BPD and other personality disorders. Decades of clinical research show DBT significantly reduces self-harm, suicide attempts, and psychiatric hospitalizations while improving emotional regulation, interpersonal functioning, and overall quality of life. After a full course of DBT, many clients no longer meet diagnostic criteria for BPD. The therapy is built around four core skills modules, each delivered through structured group sessions plus individual therapy.
Identifies and changes deep-rooted patterns (schemas) that developed in childhood and now drive problematic behaviors and relationships.
Improves ability to understand your own mental states and those of others—a capacity often impaired in personality disorders.
Addresses specific thought patterns and behaviors. Particularly useful for Cluster C personality disorders with anxiety features.
Weekly group sessions teaching and practicing DBT skills. A core component of comprehensive DBT treatment.
One-on-one sessions to apply skills to your specific situations, process difficult experiences, and work toward personal goals.
Specialized group sessions that allow clients to practice DBT skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation in a supportive, judgment-free environment with others working through similar challenges.
"People with BPD are like people with third-degree burns over 90% of their bodies. Lacking emotional skin, they feel agony at the slightest touch or movement."
Our outpatient programs provide more intensive support than traditional weekly therapy — combining structured DBT skills work with the chance to practice emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness in your real-world environment, where lasting change actually integrates:
Our Virtual IOP delivers the same comprehensive DBT-based treatment from anywhere in California via secure video sessions — ideal for clients who can’t attend in person or prefer the comfort of their own space for emotion regulation work.
Personality disorders and substance use disorders frequently co-occur. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), people with personality disorders are significantly more likely to develop substance use problems—often as a way to cope with emotional pain, emptiness, or interpersonal stress.
For people with BPD specifically, substances may temporarily numb intense emotions, fill feelings of emptiness, or serve as a form of self-harm. Unfortunately, substance use typically worsens personality disorder symptoms over time and adds additional problems.
At Asana Recovery, we began as an addiction treatment center and have deep expertise in treating co-occurring personality disorders and substance use disorders. Our integrated approach addresses both conditions together, which research shows produces better outcomes than treating them separately.
Take the first step toward building a life worth living. Our DBT-trained team is here to help you develop the skills to manage emotions and build healthier relationships.
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While “cure” isn’t typically the term clinicians use, research shows that many people with personality disorders—especially BPD—experience significant and lasting improvement with proper treatment. Studies show that after DBT treatment, many patients no longer meet diagnostic criteria for BPD. The goal is building a life worth living, not perfection.
Personality patterns developed over years, so changing them takes time. A typical course of DBT is 6-12 months, though some people benefit from longer treatment. However, most people notice improvements in specific skills and crisis management within the first few months. Our PHP/IOP provides intensive support during the most challenging phase of treatment.
There’s no medication specifically for personality disorders, but medications can help with specific symptoms like depression, anxiety, mood instability, or impulsivity that often co-occur with PD. Many clients do well with therapy alone; others benefit from medication as part of their treatment plan. Asana Recovery’s psychiatric prescribers are integrated into the clinical team and work in close coordination with your primary therapist — no need to navigate outside referrals while in treatment.
No—while DBT was originally developed for BPD, it’s now used effectively for many conditions involving emotional dysregulation, including other personality disorders, eating disorders, substance use, treatment-resistant depression, and PTSD. The skills are universally helpful.
Yes, many clients maintain employment during treatment. Our IOP offers flexible morning and evening sessions, and our Virtual IOP can be accessed from anywhere in California via secure video. Continuing to work actually provides valuable real-life opportunities to practice interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation skills — which is core to lasting DBT integration. For clients who need more intensive PHP treatment initially, we can help plan a temporary leave under FMLA when appropriate.
Yes. Most major PPO insurance plans cover outpatient mental health treatment for personality disorders, including Asana Recovery’s PHP and IOP programs — this is a federal requirement under the Mental Health Parity Act and the Affordable Care Act. Asana Recovery is in-network with Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, ComPsych, TriCare, and Tri-West. Most other PPO plans are accepted on an out-of-network basis. Verify your insurance for a free, confidential benefits check — usually within the hour.
If you have additional questions, please fill out our contact form.
Living with a personality disorder can feel like being trapped—trapped in painful emotions, destructive patterns, and relationships that never seem to work. But change is possible. Research consistently shows that with proper treatment, people with personality disorders can build meaningful lives, stable relationships, and genuine self-worth.
At Asana Recovery, we’ve seen this transformation happen. We believe in your capacity to change, even if you don’t believe it yourself yet. Our specialized team is ready to walk alongside you as you build the life you deserve.
Take the first step. Call us at (949) 763-3440 or verify your insurance online. You don’t have to keep suffering.
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