Skillful Job Search Part 1: Obtaining a Job with BPD

A collaboration between OPI’s Department of Volunteer & Career Services and OPI Intensive Therapist Emily Rabuchin, MA, MFT has resulted in this 4-part blog series, “Skillful Job Search.” Each successive post will address a different aspect of our approach to help participants with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) find and keep a job:

Part 1: Obtaining a Job with BPD
Part 2: Integrating DBT Skills
Part 3: DEAR Skills on the Job
Part 4: Confidence Through Volunteering

Part 1 of 4: Obtaining a Job with BPD

“I need a job! Can you schedule me 6 hours a day to work on a job search? I’m going to blow the interview. Actually, I can get a job without even trying. How will I keep that job? What if I get it and it conflicts with school and work and friends and… What if my boss hates me? Maybe I should just focus on school! What if I hate my boss? Jobs are stupid. I don’t even want one. Ugh, I need a job!!!”

This is just a snippet of a single conversation that occurs on a regular basis in the Department of Volunteer and Career Services at the Optimum Performance Institute.

Regardless of age, gender, diagnosis or current issues, most of our participants tend to experience anxiety, fear, judgments or false confidence when it comes to their job search. This is especially true for those with borderline personality traits. Many have extensive employment histories of obtaining work, failing at work, and then starting the cycle over again.

Participants struggling with emotion dysregulation tend to be personable, charming, compassionate and driven which allows them to interview successfully and make great first impressions. However the inability to tolerate certain situations, impulsive decision-making, and ineffective interpersonal skills can lead to termination or resignation.

Using a collaborative approach, both the therapist’s and career counselor’s goal at OPI is to help these participants gain a sense of mastery over such issues and achieve success. The above dialog clearly identifies the circular and polarized thought process that we see in Borderline Personality Disorder. Our strategy is to take participants out of this cycle, which comes from what we call EMOTION mind, to thinking from what we call WISE mind. Being in WISE mind brings balance and helps them avoid thinking and living from extremes.

Participants are also coached to use the skills taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to tolerate their symptoms of anxiety, fear and judgments. The specific skills used in the DBT model and how these are helpful when searching for a job will be discussed in Part 2 – Integrating DBT Skills.