McLean’s Borderline Personality Disorder Residential Program at Gunderson

Our approach to borderline personality disorder care

Our expert treatment team employs a range of treatment and therapy models proven effective to treat BPD. Care at McLean is customized to the needs of the individual based on the type and severity of specific symptoms.

Patients who benefit most from our program

Our residential program focuses on treating cisgender women, transgender women, and nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth with personality disorders, including those whose borderline personality disorder is complicated by other mental health conditions.

Our self-pay program is best suited to those:

• Who would benefit from specialty residential treatment for core issues related to personality disorders, such as emotion dysregulation, self-harm, suicidality, and relationship difficulties
• Who struggle with self-image problems, feelings of self-doubt, intense fear of abandonment, and low self-worth
• Who live with or without other mental health conditions, such as substance addiction, eating disorders, trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
• Who are cisgender women, transgender women, and nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth who have borderline personality disorder (BPD) and other complex personality disorders
• Who have previously been through several treatment programs as well as those who are seeking treatment for the first time

With a minimum stay of 60 days, most of our patients are ages 21 and older. However, we may make exceptions for some younger individuals. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, our voluntary treatment setting is designed for community living in modern townhouses less than two miles from Harvard Square and four miles from downtown Boston.

Patients come to McLean from around the world to benefit from our unique and unrivaled BPD treatment program.

Individual treatment plans

While at the Gunderson Residence, patients receive twice weekly individual psychotherapy, regular medication management and medical oversight, once weekly family therapy, four to five groups per day, and have continuous access to skills coaching by our DBT-trained staff.

Group therapy

Group therapy covers a broad range of topics including mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, skills generalization, emotion regulation, symptom education, and family issues.

Daily schedule

Patients follow a structured daily schedule, starting with morning group sessions. Afternoons include clinical appointments or treatment goals, followed by gym or self-help meetings. After community dinner and evening group until curfew, patients have social time which fosters connection and support.

Leader in borderline personality disorder treatments

The Gunderson Residence uses individual, family, and group therapy treatment models that have been proven to be effective to support individuals with BPD.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT emphasizes the development of four skill sets: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. DBT has proven to be one of the most effective ways of treating borderline personality disorder.

Mentalization-Based Treatment

MBT is a therapy model that focuses on helping people to differentiate and separate their own thoughts and feelings from those around them.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy for PTSD

DBT-PTSD integrates DBT principles with trauma-focused cognitive techniques and exposure interventions for childhood trauma, fostering self-acceptance and compassion.

Radically Open DBT

RO-DBT targets disorders characterized by excessive self-control by promoting flexibility, openness, and social connectedness in individuals who struggle with perfectionism and overly controlled, rigid, or inhibited behavior.

General Psychiatric Management

GPM, which includes education for patients and their families and case management, was developed by McLean’s own John G. Gunderson, MD, a pioneer in BPD research and care.

Transference-Focused Psychotherapy

TFP is a rigorously structured psychodynamic therapeutic approach rooted in object relations theory. It is a nuanced and empirically validated intervention tailored to address disturbances in self-identity, interpersonal relationships, and affect regulation characteristic of individuals diagnosed with BPD.

What to expect while in this program

Admission

We look forward to speaking with you. For more information or to make a referral, please contact us:

Phone: 617-855-4250

Our team can help arrange admission from most domestic or international locations.

Please note: Independent motivation to change is helpful and preferred, and while family members or clinicians may see the Gunderson Residence as a good fit, the individual must be ready to actively participate in recovery.

Prospective patients are interviewed and evaluated prior to admission to ensure the best chance of success.

In addition, adequate levels of physical health and sobriety are reviewed to determine whether the level of care is appropriate for the individual.

Accommodations

Designed for community residential living, the Gunderson Residence in Cambridge, MA, is a voluntary treatment setting that offers each patient a modern and comfortable private bedroom and shared bathroom.

Family involvement

Family and friends are valuable tools in a patient’s recovery and long-term success, providing reinforcement for achieving treatment goals and enacting positive change.

Support and education for patients, families, and friends is also integral to treatment success. In addition to patient education, the Gunderson Residence offers group therapy and educational workshops for families with information targeted for the specific needs of supporting a loved one with BPD.

Family is involved in a weekly family therapy session, weekly check-in calls, and a multifamily group aimed at providing education, support, and skill building for families.

60-day immersion track

Our 60-day evaluation and skills track offers a deep dive into diagnosis, core issues, and personal growth. Through expert assessment and consultation, we provide clear diagnostic insights while equipping patients with essential skills in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

This immersive experience is designed to build self-awareness, strengthen coping strategies, and create a personalized treatment plan that aligns with each individual’s needs.

In just two months, patients gain the clarity and tools needed for lasting progress—a transformative step toward healing and stability.

Cost and insurance

The fee for the Gunderson Residence is $1,800 per day with a minimum stay of 60 days. Individuals stay with us an average of four to five months.

We are a self-pay program and do not accept insurance or any third-party reimbursement.

What is included in the day rate?

Clinical services such as:

• Twice weekly psychotherapy (appointments are a privilege and can be lost if the patient cannot meet expectations of the program)
• Medication management
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Family educational online webinar offered 2-4 times monthly
• Nursing care and coordination
• Clinical residential counselors skills coaching
• Treatment review
• Case management as needed

Non-clinical services:

• Private room
• Meals and beverages
• Linens and laundry detergent
• Membership to gym
• Weekly Saturday outings to nearby museums, movie theaters, outdoor activities, etc.
• Holiday activities

What is NOT included

Clinical services such as:

• Medications: prescribed and over-the-counter
• Internal medicine, medical, or neurological consultations
• Neuropsychological and psychological testing
• Pain management
• Medical, gynecology, and dental care

Non-clinical services:

• Toiletries
• Supplemental snacks
• Transportation outside program outings

For those who require Kosher meals, we work with a Kosher catering company for an additional cost.

Visiting hours, cell phone and smoking policy, and patient privacy

• Visitors are permitted, following program policies. Visiting hours are Sundays 8am-12pm and visits are arranged in concert with the clinical team, family, and patient.
  Please speak to the patient’s treatment team for more information.
• The Gunderson Residence is non-smoking. No e-cigarettes are allowed. We can assist with smoking cessation as needed.
• At the Gunderson Residence, technology (including, but not limited to, cell phones and computers) are held by the program upon arrival. Following completion of the first phase of treatment, patients are considered for technology privileges. At this point, the individual and their treatment team make a technology usage plan that works best with their treatment goals.
  Those who are permitted to hold and use their cell phones and computers, must follow guidelines to prevent disruption of the program and other patients. Cameras and other recording devices are not allowed. Technology may be confiscated if not used appropriately.

Patient Privacy

• Privacy is of the utmost importance to Gunderson and we ensure confidentiality through our highly trained, professional, and discreet staff.
• No third party, whether known to the patient or not, has access to medical records, health information, or any program participation without prior, written authorization from the patient.
• Patients may request their medical records by following the steps in this page.

Support, resources, and aftercare planning

Support and educational resources

• From helpful online resources to self-help groups and more, McLean Hospital is committed to providing support and mental health education to aid patients and families on the path to recovery.
  At the Gunderson Residence, we hold private, weekly webinars for family members to help educate them, provide regular patient updates, and address concerns and questions they may have.

Aftercare planning

• The treatment team works closely with the individual as well as with family, significant friends, and outside providers to develop a personalized aftercare plan. Recommendations by staff are made based upon clinical needs, progress made during treatment, and long-term treatment goals.

Patient feedback

• McLean is dedicated to maintaining high-quality and effective patient care. To ensure that those standards remain at the highest level, we utilize a number of feedback instruments and quality indicators.