Sashbear’s Expert Education Series is a series of free, online, monthly presentations with international experts speaking on topics related to emotion dysregulation and family skills.
Whether you are a relative or friend, a person with lived experience of BPD, or a mental health service provider, you will find something in our library of presentations to help you understand more about BPD and emotion dysregulation.
Click here to find a list of upcoming presentations in French.
Upcoming Presentations
Dr. Nina Mafrici
Dr. Michele Foster
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 7pm ET
Behind the Screen: Digital Risk and Resilience in Youth Mental Health
This webinar will explore how social media and digital environments influence young people’s emotional well-being, identity development, and self-esteem. Drawing on current research and clinical practice, we will examine risk factors such as comparison, cyberstress, and online validation, alongside practical tools to support healthy digital engagement, recognize warning signs, and promote emotional regulation and psychological well-being in youth.
Dr. Nina Mafrici and Dr. Michele Foster are Registered Clinical Psychologists and Co-Founders of Toronto Psychology & Wellness Group, a multidisciplinary practice supporting youth, adults, couples, and families. Both earned their doctorates in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toronto and bring over 15 years of experience treating mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, trauma, addictions, and emotion regulation using evidence-based approaches including CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and trauma-focused therapies. They co-developed Ontario’s first outpatient, non-hospital-based integrated Eating Disorder Program and regularly present workshops in schools and community settings.
Arthur
Bella
Kaitlyn
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | 7pm ET
The Impact of Educating Family Members & Significant Others with Knowledge, Skills and Hope
This webinar will feature Arthur, Bella and Kaitlyn: three Lived Experience Speakers (LES) from Sashbear. LES play a vital role in the organization, sharing their stories with program participants, offering testimonials at Sashbear Walks, participating in scientific conferences, and supporting community outreach initiatives. Join Arthur, Bella, and Kaitlyn as they reflect on their personal journeys and the impact of their family members learning the skills with Sashbear on their relationship and recovery. They will share the skills they’ve found the most helpful for their families, followed by an opportunity for questions.
Arthur, a Montreal-based marketing professional, has regained stability and quality of life while living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), thanks in large part to his family’s involvement in the Family Connections™ program through Sashbear. The program equipped his parents with skills like validation, boundary-setting, emotion regulation, and communication, which transformed their family dynamic and became central to his recovery. Now, as the author of Quelle belle journée pour mourir (2024), Arthur shares his story to inspire others and show that recovery is truly possible with the right support.
Bella, a public health professional in Ontario, has navigated emotion dysregulation and depression since their late teens. Through their parents’ participation in Family Connections and their own personal work, Bella and their family rebuilt a healthier relationship grounded in observing limits and in mutual understanding. Bella and their mom Cheryl have been actively involved in Family Connections and also recently did a Super Feelers Club podcast episode together: click here.
Kaitlyn, a heavy diesel mechanic and loving mom to a beautiful 6 year old boy, has navigated a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) by using it as a path toward self-awareness and personal growth. With the support of the Sashbear Foundation, she and her family learned skills rooted in compassion, validation, and effective communication. These tools helped deepen understanding, replace confusion with empathy, and strengthen their relationships in meaningful, lasting ways.
Dr Emily Cooney
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | 7pm ET
Substance Use Disorder
Dr Emily Cooney is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the US, the UK, and New Zealand with children and adults in a range of inpatient and outpatient settings, with a particular focus on DBT. She is a senior lecturer at Otago University and an assistant professor adjunct at the Yale School of Medicine, where she co-directed the DBT and DBT for substance use disorder teams within an Intensive Outpatient Program. Emily served as a research therapist on two trials of DBT under Dr Marsha Linehan, and was the principal investigator on two DBT feasibility trials in New Zealand. One examined DBT for self-harming adolescents, and the other trialled DBT skills training for men with anger-related problems. She provides training and consultation in DBT via Behavioral Tech as well as DBTNZ, and her current research focusses on whānau-oriented intervention and research for people experiencing family violence and suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
Dr. Tali Boritz
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | 7pm ET
When Therapy Gets Hard: Helping Loved Ones Stay Engaged in Treatment for BPD
Family members often play an important role in supporting individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or emotion dysregulation during treatment. Central to effective psychotherapy is the therapeutic alliance—the collaborative, trusting relationship between client and therapist. In BPD treatments, this relationship is both a powerful driver of change and a place where challenges can arise. Because therapy often addresses intense emotions and interpersonal patterns, moments of tension or strong reactions are common and can become opportunities for growth when worked through constructively. This presentation introduces family members to the therapeutic alliance and its role in treatment. By normalizing common challenges in therapy, the presentation aims to equip families with tools to support persistence, collaboration, and hope in the treatment journey.
Dr. Tali Boritz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University, Toronto, Canada. She is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and educator. Her research focuses on enhancing BPD treatments and translating research into practical training tools for clinicians and trainees. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and the book Deliberate Practice in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She is Past President of the North American Society for Psychotherapy Research.
Melanie Goldman
Dr. Kiki Fehling
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 7pm ET
Understanding DBT: The Lived Experience and Therapist Perspectives
This webinar, co-facilitated by Dr. Kiki Fehling, a Linehan-board-certified DBT clinical psychologist, author, and expert, and Melanie Goldman, owner of Mind Over Borderline Therapy and a professional with lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD), will bring together two perspectives that are rarely shared in the same space. The session will address some of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), bridging clinical expertise with lived experience to provide families and individuals with a fuller, more nuanced understanding. Together, the facilitators will explore important and often-overlooked questions such as: What is the difference between DBT-informed and DBT-adherent treatment? Is DBT truly the “gold standard” for BPD, and does it work for everyone? What if someone’s first experience of DBT was negative—does that mean it isn’t a good fit? Should all DBT therapists be Linehan-board-certified? In addition to answering these questions, the webinar will highlight the growing expansions of DBT, including its applications for trauma, adolescents, and Radical Openness (RO). By combining the insights of a practitioner trained by some of the world’s leading experts in DBT, alongside the perspective of lived experience, this session aims to reduce stigma, clarify misconceptions, and give both families and individuals with BPD an opportunity to see “both sides of the coin.”
Melanie Goldman is an RP(Q) under supervision and the founder of Mind Over Borderline Clinic, a clinic that specializes in support for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and their families. An advocate, speaker, writer, musician, and spiritual guide, she has spent more than a decade championing the BPD community through peer facilitation, formal training with organizations such as Emotions Matter, and her role as a cast member of The BPD Bunch YouTube series.
Melanie’s approach is all-rounded and personalized, integrating evidence-based therapies with wisdom gained from diverse mentors and holistic practices worldwide. Melanie regularly speaks to audiences around the globe to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and inspire hope. Inspired by her grandmother Rae, who had bipolar disorder and likely BPD. Melanie is committed to helping everyone find their own “Rae of Light in the Darkness.”
Dr. Kiki Fehling (they/she) is a licensed psychologist, writer, speaker, and consultant. An expert in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), borderline personality disorder, self-harm, and LGBTQ+ mental health, Kiki is passionate about sharing evidence-based mental health information with as many people as she can. Kiki teaches about DBT skills and other coping tools through her social media accounts @dbtkiki. She’s the author of Self-Directed DBT Skills: A 3-Month DBT Workbook, DBT Cards for Coping Skills, and The LGBTQ+ Mental Health Workbook (publishing in June 2026).
Dr. Amanda Uliaszek
October 2026 – Coming Soon
Amanda A. Uliaszek, Ph.D., C.Psych. (Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science), is a clinical psychologist with a research program exploring transdiagnostic factors related to personality pathology and emotion dysregulation; this includes an examination of structural models, etiological factors, and prognostic indicators. This program of study extends to dialectical behavior therapy, with a specific focus on understanding and improving treatments for adolescents and university students. Dr. Uliaszek’s current research more broadly prioritizes psychotherapy mechanisms, outcomes, program improvement and evaluation, as well as barriers to treatment implementation, in a variety of hospital, community, and residential treatment settings.
Dr. Nina Mafrici,
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Dr. Michele Foster,
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | 7pm ET
Understanding Eating Disorders: Early Identification and Evidence-Based Support
This webinar provides an overview of eating disorders in youth and adults, highlighting current risk factors, early warning signs, and the impact of sociocultural influences. Drawing on evidence-based practice, the presenters will discuss the importance of early identification and outline pathways to recovery through timely intervention, multidisciplinary care, and meaningful engagement of families and caregivers.
Dr. Nina Mafrici and Dr. Michele Foster are Registered Clinical Psychologists and Co-Founders of Toronto Psychology & Wellness Group, a multidisciplinary practice supporting youth, adults, couples, and families. Both earned their doctorates in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toronto and bring over 15 years of experience treating mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, trauma, addictions, and emotion regulation using evidence-based approaches including CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and trauma-focused therapies. They co-developed Ontario’s first outpatient, non-hospital-based integrated Eating Disorder Program and regularly present workshops in schools and community settings.
Recordings Coming Soon:
Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 101: What is it, what causes it, and what helps it get better
Recordings of Recent Presentations
Library of Recorded Presentations
Explore our library of more than 60 presentations. We are adding more all the time. Head over to YouTube to start learning.
Topics include:
- Lived experience — living with borderline personality disorder
- Skills for family members — learning about dialectical thinking, relationship mindfulness, validation, and more
- Mental health disorders — what does emotional dysregulation look like when someone also has another mental health disorder such as PTSD or OCD
- Concerning behaviours — Gain understanding and skills to cope if your loved one is dealing with substance use, self-harm, or an eating disorder
- Trauma — Learn about the intersection of trauma and BPD. Recognize the potential and impact of trauma on family members
- Suicide, grief and loss
- Evidence-based treatment modalities — Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mentalization Based Therapy, Radically Open DBT, Mindfulness
- Indigenous cultural safety and awareness
Featured Presentations