Free NEABPD Family Connections — BPD Families Peer Course, Nationwide
Family Connections is a free, evidence-based 24-hour peer course developed by the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) for family members and loved ones of someone with BPD or significant emotion dysregulation. The course has been running since the early 2000s and is the leading family education program for BPD in the United States.
What to Expect
Family Connections runs as a 12-week course (some cohorts run an 8-week format) that meets weekly via Zoom for two hours, with 1-2 hours of practice and homework between sessions. The curriculum covers BPD education, family skills, communication tools adapted from DBT, validation strategies, problem-solving, and the family’s own emotional health and self-care. Sessions are co-led by trained Family Connections leaders — themselves family members of someone with BPD who have completed the course and returned as trained facilitators.
Schedule
Multiple cohorts start every month across all US time zones (and internationally). Cohorts have set start dates and run for the full 12-week (or 8-week) duration; participants commit to the cohort cycle rather than dropping in to a single session. Check the current schedule at borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/family-connections.
Who This Group Is For
Adult family members and loved ones of someone with diagnosed Borderline Personality Disorder, suspected BPD, or significant emotion dysregulation. Parents, siblings, partners, spouses, adult children, close friends. The course is for the family member’s own recovery, education, and skill-building — not for the person with BPD themselves.
Why This Works
Families of people with BPD often experience their own trauma — walking on eggshells, escalating arguments, repeated crises, and well-meaning interventions that backfire. Family Connections gives loved ones a structured program built specifically for BPD families, with peer-to-peer learning from families who have lived the same dynamics.
How to Join
Apply at borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/family-connections. Cohorts fill quickly — sign up for the waitlist if all upcoming cohorts are full. The course is always free; NEABPD covers all costs through donations and grants.