The Impact of Mindfulness Practice within the Landscape of Treatment

Mindfulness

By Jessica Breton, MA, LMFT, Executive Director OPI Mindfulness has become increasingly popular in the past decade, both in popular culture and in therapeutic practice. What, precisely, is mindfulness and how is it beneficial when used with treatment? What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of purposefully focusing your energy and attention on the present…

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Borderline Personality Disorder Questions and Treatment Approaches

Borderline Personality Disorder Questions, Answers & How to Find Treatment

When the phone rings in our Admissions Department, it may be a call from someone wanting information about or admittance to our Optimum Performance Institute. But in the case of our OPI Intensive program for men and women with BPD, that call is often made by someone seeking answers to our most frequently asked borderline…

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Overcoming Depression: Daniel’s Story

young adult disabling depression

Not long ago, on a nice sunny day in south Florida, I sat on the edge of my bed, pen and paper in hand, and began to write. I wrote about my life: the trials and tribulations of my despair, my desperate quest for inner peace, and an announcement that I had given up on…

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Coping Effectively with Anxiety & Depression Over the Holidays (webinar)

When The Holidays Are Triggering Optimum Performance Institute invites you to this important, free webinar on coping effectively with anxiety, depression, and eating disorder issues over the holidays.  This event will be co-facilitated by psychiatrist Robert “Dr. Bob” Fischer, M.D. and  April E. House, MA, MFT, Therapist and Eating Disorder Specialist, and moderated by Debbie…

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National Mental Health Awareness Month: Healing Can Start with a Conversation

Today, millions of Americans live with the burden of a mental health problem. Too often they go through life trying to “just deal with” or “get over” conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression & anxiety – illnesses that can impact each and every aspect of their lives. The surprising thing is, fewer…

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Happiness: Life on the Other Side of Pain

S.A. is 24 and came to the Optimum Performance Institute In August of 2013 after her fourth suicide attempt since the age of eighteen. Her most recent in-patient Clinic recommended she come to OPI as many of their patients had experienced positive long-term recoveries from their time at OPI. A lot can change in a…

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BPD in Men: We Can Have Borderline Personality Disorder, Too

Dr. Robert Fischer, executive director of the Optimum Performance Institute and its OPI Intensive, was interviewed by Richard Zwolinski, LMHC, CASAC, and C.R. Zwolinski, Authors of the 2009 Bestseller Therapy Revolution: Find Help, Get Better, and Move On without Wasting Time or Money and the Therapy Soup blog at PsychCentral.com. The original interview appeared on PsychCentral.com. Borderline…

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Intensive Outpatient Program at OPI Living Expands Services For Local Young Adults

We Treat the Whole Person, Not Just the Disorder

Young adults aged 17–28 in the Los Angeles area who need help defining goals and becoming independent can now participate in a unique Intensive Outpatient Program at the Optimum Performance Institute. This program offers everything from individual and group psychotherapy, life coaching and career development classes to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), yoga, tennis, hiking and…

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Part Two: Q and A with Anne LaRiviere, Director of Admissions at OPI Living Programs

Anne LaRivere, Director of Admissions at the Optimum Performance Institute

As Director of Admissions for all OPI Living Programs, I recently decided to start a blog post series to outline some commonly asked questions that we receive from parents and referring therapists. This is the second set of questions in my new series. To read all of the frequently asked questions I’ve discussed, visit our…

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Male BPD: Finally, We Are Addressing It

Male BPD, finally a treatment program that understands young men with borderline personality disorder

The challenge in life for all of us is to appreciate that happiness is found in imperfection, not perfection. For young adults in our Optimum Performance Institute community, this means learning to appreciate the complexity of life and deal with imperfections in themselves, others and the world. Our participants learn to take their best shot…

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Q & A with Heather Perrier, MS – Director of Education for the Optimum Performance Institute

Heather Perrier, Director of Educational Services for the Optimum Performance Institute

Q: Heather, what have you learned from participants that have attended various OPI programs? A: I have learned that even great change IS possible. The path to get there however requires patience, practice and perseverance. Q: What strategies do you use and employ in the Department of Education at OPI? A: Our philosophy is that…

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OPI Responds to Parent and Participant Requests: Changes are Made

JCAHO-accredited Optimum Performance Institute continues its dynamic tradition of rapidly responding to the individualized needs of Young Adults by making significant programming changes to its OPI Intensive for Young Adults with Borderline Traits, Borderline Personality Disorder and Co-Occurring Conditions (eating disorders, substance abuse, PTSD, mood disorders, etc.). OPI opened the specialized OPI Intensive about a…

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