Treatment options for people in Manitoba

Picking the right therapist is possibly the most important determinant of the probability of success.

Many psychologists and therapists offer therapy for BPD or its symptoms, but some do not have special training to treat BPD or do not have the patience, compassion, or personality fit.

The cost and wait time might also determine which of these treatment options is best.

Psychotherapy (CBT & DBT):

  • Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba – offers resources including a free 6-week long anxiety and worry support program and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (“CBT”) programs to people of all ages affected by anxiety disorders. Many people with BPD have co-existing anxiety disorders or symptoms similar to anxiety disorders.
  • Behavioural Health Foundation – on referral, provides long-term, residential programming for adults with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
  • CMHA Living Life to the Full – a course to help people deal with everyday life challenges and learn self-management skills using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles.
  • CMHA Turning Pages – a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program with mindfulness and peer support for people over 50.
  • Huddle Manitoba – 6 youth hubs offering a one-stop shop for health care, youth services, and community events to help people aged 12-29 feel better, including health and wellness workshops, drop-in counseling, mental health skills groups like Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Mindfulness (CBTm), and group activities like crafting or movie nights.
  • Klinic Community Health – Offers free CBTm and DBT therapy for victims of sexual assault.
  • NorWest Co-op – Offers a free DBT program to adolescents ages 13-18 years involving a weekly meeting with a therapist and a weekly skills training group with their parent/caregiver over 6-12 months. They also offer a similar free DBT program to adults, however the adult program is virtual and participants for adult program must be current patients of NorWest Co-op Community Health. Contact Paula for more information at (204) 938-5912.
  • Shared Health Manitoba Co-occurring Disorders Initiative Outreach (“CODI”) – on referral from a physician or psychiatrist, offers a DBT program to help people with both mental health and substance abuse problems in conjunction with Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.
  • Shared Health Manitoba Crisis Response Centre at Health Sciences Centre Urgent Follow-up Intensive Treatment Team (“UFITT”) – if referred after a walk-in mental health assessment at CRC, offers a 10-session free zoom course called Managing Difficult Emotions for BPD and emotional dysregulation.
  • Short-term Assessment & Treatment (STAT) program through Max Rady College of Medicine at Health Sciences Centre – with a referral from a physician or psychiatrist, offers day hospital program for 5-weeks (20 patients maximum) with individual DBT and group therapy plus an outpatient program follow-up for 2 months (100 patients max). The wait time to start the STAT program can be 6 months.

Private Fee-based Psychotherapy:

Please note that the cost of private CBT and DBT therapy is prohibitive for many people (between $50 and $180 per hour for several hours per week for at least 6 months).

Click here to search the Manitoba Psychological Society Psychologist Directory to find therapists in various community along with information about their areas of specialty.

Here is a list of some private therapists that offer therapy for people with BPD.

  • Affordable Therapy Network – provides private, sliding-scale fee DBT therapy.
  • Aulneau Renewal Centre – provides sliding-scale DBT for teens aged 13-18 and their families.
  • Aurora Family Therapy Centre – provides sliding-scale individual and group therapy, but do NOT provide therapy for chronic high-risk suicidality or untreated severe mental illness, including psychosis.
  • DBT Family Support – individual and group DBT sessions for people with BPD and family members.
  • DBT Winnipeg – private clinic specializing in DBT with a Linehan Board Certified Clinical Lead on the treatment team.
  • Inspire Community Outreach Inc. – provides sliding-scale fee-based, evidence-based, culturally informed, and family-centered education (including introduction to DBT) and programming for children and youth aged 3-29 living with mental health issues and neurological/cognitive differences and their primary caregivers.
  • New Directions Therapy & Clinical Services – provides therapy for kids, families, and parents.

Counselling, education & social work for people with BPD and mental illness:

  • Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba – provides support, advocacy and guidance to women who are involved in the criminal justice system. They offer services such as Bail Verification and Supervision, Anger Management (Women for Change Program), SMART Recovery program to change addictive behaviors, Transitional Housing – Bridging the gap between homelessness and independent living, and a volunteer court support program to help women navigate the legal system through in-court support, referrals to lawyers & applying for legal aid.
  • Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre – a centre for women and gender diverse people providing information, referrals, outreach, supportive individual and group counselling, and public education workshops.
  • Heartwood Healing Centre – provides free counselling, workshops, and support for for people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse.
  • Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre – website to support the healing journey of people impacted by trauma.
  • Peer Connections Manitoba – offers virtual and in-person individual peer support programs for people facing mental health or substance use challenges.
  • Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) – outreach-oriented community treatment, rehabilitation, and support service designed to meet the needs of people with severe and persistent mental illness.
  • Sara Riel Inc. – provides individuals with mental health and addiction challenges education, free counselling and case management, peer support, housing & employment assistance, and a crisis hotline.
  • Turning Leaf Support Services – A non-profit, charitable organization that provides person-centered crisis and treatment services to low and high-risk marginalized individuals with mental illness.
  • Winnipeg Regional Health Authority community mental health access coordinator – monitors clients assigned to treatment wait lists, facilitates connections to alternate resources for ineligible clients, provides crisis intervention and urgent follow up until services are in place, and consults with clients, families, and service providers to ensure continuity of care.
  • Women’s Health Clinic – offers free appointment-based counselling for girls, women, Two-Spirit, trans & non-binary people.
  • YMCA – offers the “Y Mind Youth” and “Y Mind Teen” programs, a free 7-week mental wellness program for people ages 13-30 who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety. They teach strategies to manage anxiety and improve coping skills using an action-focused approach based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mentalization and connecting with others who are having similar experiences. Participants get free access to the YMCA-YWCA health and fitness facilities.
  • Youville – St. Vital Community Health Centre – offers free counselling to learn to identify and express your feelings effectively and explore strategies that promote healthy coping and problem-solving skills.

Alternative therapy:

  • Artbeat Studio Inc. – self-directed, peer-supported programming including free social supports, a working art studio, and mentorship to foster the recovery and empowerment of people with mental illness.
  • Deep Focus Art Therapy – Uses traditional talk therapy combined with the creative process to create art, in particular making films, to help heal people of all ages with a variety of mental health challenges including past traumatic experiences.

Access to Therapy Initiative provides funding for counselling for low-income people and Indigenous peoples in North America.

eMentalHealth.ca has a list of free and fee-based DBT providers in Manitoba.