As the BPD syndrome progresses though the disruptive interplay between the emotionally intense episodes and a social environment that becomes increasingly unempathic and unresponsive, many functional areas of the BPD may begin to break down. Learning or relearning patterns of managing these functional areas helps the BPDI to keep these areas under control during episodes. The Basic Program consists of 20 weekly meetings of two hours each. This includes a short break between the first and second hour. Each week is organized around a skill which is the focus of the session.
Some skills require more than one weekly sessions to teach.
Interpersonal Relationships Avoiding Abusive Behaviors Review and Wrap-up. At the first session the trainees are supplied with a red notebook in which to keep their training materials. Most clients are very reliable in bringing the notebook to each session. They are strongly urged to share their notebook and the lesson materials with others in their system. By the end of the training, most clients view the red notebook as a resource they can turn to during difficult times.