Personality Disorders Treatment in Orange County, CA
Living with a personality disorder can affect how you relate to yourself, others, and the world around you. You’re not alone if your thoughts, behaviors, or relationships are consistently intense, unstable, or difficult to manage. At Friendly Recovery in Tustin, CA, we offer outpatient treatment that helps individuals gain insight, stability, and practical tools to improve emotional and relational health.
Our personality disorder outpatient programs are structured to support meaningful change without disrupting your daily life. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a personality disorder or want help navigating long-standing challenges, we’re here to help.
What Are Personality Disorders?
Personality disorders are mental health conditions that impact how a person thinks, feels, and behaves across many areas of life. These patterns are often deeply rooted and long-lasting, and they can make it hard to maintain relationships, manage emotions, or function effectively at work or home.
People with personality disorders may struggle with self-image, have intense or unstable relationships, and experience strong emotional reactions that feel hard to control. These patterns usually develop in adolescence or early adulthood and continue into adulthood without treatment.
With consistent support and the right approach, shifting these patterns and building a healthier, more stable sense of self is possible.
“I thought my emotions and relationships would always feel out of control. I’ve learned how to recognize my triggers, set boundaries, and feel more stable in who I am. It’s been life changing to finally feel understood and supported..”
Common Symptoms of Personality Disorders
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of personality disorder, but many people experience:
- Frequent relationship conflict or instability
- Intense fear of abandonment or rejection
- Difficulty regulating emotions or behavior
- Chronic feelings of emptiness or identity confusion
- Impulsive actions that cause regret
- Trouble trusting others or feeling safe in relationships
- Rigid, perfectionistic, or controlling behaviors
These patterns may feel deeply ingrained, but treatment can help you learn new ways of thinking, coping, and connecting.
Types of Personality Disorders We Treat
At Friendly Recovery, we provide care for a range of personality disorders, including:
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): Characterized by unstable relationships, intense emotional reactions, fear of abandonment, and impulsive behavior.
Avoidant Personality Disorder: Marked by social withdrawal, low self-esteem, and hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Involves an inflated sense of self-importance, need for admiration, and difficulty empathizing with others.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD): Rigid perfectionism, control, and a strong need for order that interferes with flexibility and relationships.
Dependent Personality Disorder: Excessive reliance on others for reassurance, decision-making, and support.
Paranoid Personality Disorder: Persistent distrust and suspicion of others, often without clear justification.
Many of our clients start treatment without a clear diagnosis—they just know something in their emotional or relational life feels off or unsustainable. That awareness is a valid starting point for care.
"Treating personality disorders isn’t about labeling someone, it’s about helping them understand their patterns, feel safe in relationships, and build emotional resilience. At Friendly Recovery, we create a supportive space where real, lasting change is possible."
Therapies That Support Long-Term Change
Treating personality disorders takes time, consistency, and an approach rooted in trust and empathy. At Friendly Recovery, we focus on therapies that help clients build self-awareness, emotional regulation, and more stable relationships.
Our therapies include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps reframe negative or rigid thought patterns
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Often essential for BPD and emotion dysregulation, DBT teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness
Trauma-Informed Care: For clients whose personality patterns may be rooted in early life trauma
Individual Therapy: One-on-one support focused on identity, boundaries, and relationship patterns
Group Therapy: Builds social skills, connection, and accountability
Holistic Therapies: Including mindfulness, movement, and expressive therapies to support whole-person healing
Outpatient Treatment for Personality Disorders
Our outpatient programs are designed to help individuals with personality disorders develop emotional stability, healthier relationships, and greater self-understanding without putting life on hold.
At Friendly Recovery, we offer several levels of care depending on your needs:
Outpatient Services: Flexible, lower-frequency support for clients stepping down from higher levels of care or managing long-term progress.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Several days a week of focused therapy that helps you stay on track while maintaining work, school, or home life.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Full-day support that includes individual therapy, skills groups, and clinical structure while allowing you to return home in the evenings.
All treatment plans are individualized and built to support meaningful change in emotional regulation, identity development, and interpersonal functioning.
Is This Level of Support Right for Your Personality Disorder?
This type of treatment may be appropriate if:
- Your relationships often feel chaotic, one-sided, or filled with conflict
- You experience emotional reactions that feel out of proportion or hard to manage
- You struggle with self-image, identity confusion, or frequent feelings of emptiness
- You’ve noticed long-standing behaviors that keep you stuck in painful cycles
- You’re ready to explore your patterns in a safe, structured setting with professional support
If something doesn’t feel right, we can help you understand what’s going on and what kind of care can actually help.
Why Choose Friendly Recovery in Orange County?
Friendly Recovery offers more than just therapy sessions; we offer connection, structure, and support for real growth. Our team has experience working with individuals who’ve been misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or dismissed in other settings. Here, your story matters, and we meet you with respect.
We take time to understand your history, strengths, and what you want your life to look like moving forward. We’re committed to helping you create lasting change with evidence-based care and a human-centered approach.
Let's Talk About What's Next
You don’t need to have it all figured out. Many people start treatment simply wanting to feel better or stop repeating painful patterns. That’s enough. Call us today and learn how Friendly Recovery can help you work toward stability, confidence, and healthier relationships.
Medically Reviewed By: Shahana Ham, LCSW
Shahana Ham, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She specializes in client-centered care for individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges, fostering a supportive environment for healing and growth.
