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.
Upcoming Presentations
Dr. Anita Federici
Wed., April 23, 2025 | 7pm ET
Understanding the Important Relationship between Eating Disorders and BPD
This presentation will examine the critical overlap between eating disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD), focusing on how these conditions co-exist and impact one another. We will discuss how to recognize the presence of an eating disorder, explore different types—including variations in over-control vs. under-control presentations—and provide caregivers with practical guidance on what to do (and what not to do) when offering support. Attendees will also learn key DBT and other evidence-based skills to help navigate distressing behaviors and promote more effective communication and care.
Anita Federici is a Clinical Psychologist and the Owner of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation. She serves an Adjunct Faculty position at York University and is a distinguished Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED). She has provided more than 375 lectures, workshops, and invited talks on eating disorders, MED-DBT, compassionate care for complex needs, and developing differential care pathways that integrate biotemperament-based approaches, experts-by-experience, and ethical care. She works extensively with hospitals and community organizations nationally and internationally offering team training, implementation support, and program development with a special focus on creating differential care pathways for clients who do not respond to traditional treatment approaches. Her work has been presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals and invited book chapters.
Dr. Gillian Galen
Wed., May 14, 2025 | 7pm ET
Radical Acceptance (Tentative)
Gillian C. Galen, PsyD, is a senior child and adolescent psychologist specializing in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She is the program director of the 3East DBT residential programs and the director of training for the 3East continuum at McLean Hospital, Boston. She has extensive experience diagnosing and treating adolescents and young adults who struggle with emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, trauma, self-injury and suicidal behaviors. Dr. Galen is the co-author of several books, most recently “DBT for Dummies.”
Francheska Perepletchikova
Wed., June 25, 2025 | 7pm ET
Don’t Forget the Other Child: How to help siblings of emotionally dysregulated supersensers
Siblings of emotionally dysregulated supersensers are suffering, whether quietly – the “perfect child syndrome” or with actively fighting back – “enemy camp”. Most siblings are somewhere in between these two sides of the spectrum, and all of them need attention for their own mental health and to support the therapeutic progress of the identified client. Unfortunately, most of the time, they are left behind, simply because most of the family resources are taken by dealing with the dysregulated child. This presentation will address several questions on the topic of siblings: 1)What are some of the risks of not attending to the needs of the other child; 2)How to include siblings in therapy; 3)How to provide support for siblings dealing with the dysregulation of an identified client at home; and 4)How to help parents resolve sibling rivalry.
Amy Kalasunas,
LPCC-S, CCMHC, DBT‑LBC™ Certified Clinician
Wed., July 23, 2025 | 7pm ET
One Degree of Change: A Compass for Parents of Struggling Young Adults
Join us for a presentation aimed at parents of struggling young adults that explains how loving parents can find themselves stuck when trying to help their adult children. Amy Kalasunas, LPCC-S, CCMHC will explain why it makes sense that parents feel off course, as well as teach practical tools that promote communication while considering reasonably sized expectations for change at home. Even one degree of change makes a difference! Through an adaptation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) treatment, the hour will focus on helping parents work differently while learning more effective ways to provide emotional, social, and financial support.
Amy Kalasunas, LPCC-S, CCMHC, DBT-LBC™ Certified Clinician
Chief Operating Officer and Director of DBT Services
Amy Kalasunas (she/her), LPCC-S, CCMHC, is a behaviorist with over 25 years of experience working within evidence-based treatment models. A DBT-Linehan Board of Certification™ Certified Clinician, she has extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and its sub-specialty area of DBT for Multi-diagnostic Eating Disorders, DBT- Prolonged Exposure for Borderline Personality Disorder, and DBT supervision and consultation team adherence practices. In addition, Amy co-chairs the DBT LBC™ Publications and Communications Committee, working to promote clinician adherence to DBT. A sought-after instructor, Amy often presenting two- and three-day workshops on the topics of comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), DBT and Multi-diagnostic Eating Disorders, and DBT-Prolonged Exposure and Eating Disorders. Amy has also developed, piloted, and researches interventions for parents of multi-diagnostic adult children using an adaptation of the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) protocol and DBT.
Recordings Coming Soon
Recordings of Recent Presentations
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
Mental Health Advocate
Author, Closer Together
Dr. Blaise Aguirre
Library of Recorded Presentations
Explore our library of more than 25 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