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I have been familiar with the work of AJ Mahari since the days of her original website “Soul Self-Help” on recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder that she began in April 1995. One of the earliest websites to publicize this disorder, it originated around a series of introspective essays about her own recovery. These intuitive works contained nuggets of wisdom that were often useful in understanding my patients’ struggles and guiding them through the various stages of recovery. We shared in our respective work the goal of educating the public about BPD and destigmatizing it.

In the 14 years since her work began, she has made a study of BPD from the early psychoanalytic foundations of the concept to modern day therapeutic interventions, all the while integrating what she has learned with her personal experience with BPD and its treatment. The result has become an extensive and valuable resource for present day sufferers, their families, and their treatment providers.

Richard A. Moskovitz, MD

Richard A. Moskovitz, MD is a psychiatrist with over thirty years of practice experience. He is the author of Lost in the Mirror, 2nd Edition: An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder which was first published in 1996 and revised in a Second Edition in 2001. It’s objective was to elucidate the experience of people suffering from BPD and to create a vision of how recovery might unfold. He is also the author of Carousel Music a psychological mystery novel that addresses the controversy around validity of memories recovered during treatment. Dr. Moskovitz is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

 

In an era where recent figures show that BPD affects nearly 6% of the US population, it still remains a mystery disorder. Although widely talked about in psychiatric circles, BPD is not known by the public. AJ Mahari stands as a pioneer in the public dissemination of information on BPD. Her website and information offers a balanced non-stigmatizing perspective and highly educational review of Borderline Personality Disorder. It is such efforts that will increase public awareness and offer hope to those suffering from this hidden epidemic.

Blaise Aguirre, MD
Medical Director
Adolescent DBT Residential Program
McLean Hospital
3east.org
617.855.3331

Dr. Aguirre is an expert in child, adolescent and adult psychotherapy, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and psychopharmacology. He is medical director of 3East at Harvard – affiliated McLean Hospital, a unique, residential DBT program for young women exhibiting self-endangering behaviors and borderline personality traits. Dr. Aguirre has been a staff psychiatrist at McLean since 2000 and is widely recognized for his extensive work in the treatment of mood and personality disorders in adolescents.

Dr. Aguirre is the author of Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents: A Complete Guide to Understanding and Coping When Your Adolescent Has BPD and his new book Depression (Biographies of Disease). He is a co-author of Helping Your Troubled Teen: Learn to Recognize, Understand, and Address the Destructive Behavior of Today’s Teens.

 Being a Client of and working with A J Mahari

by mooshG »  July 08, 2014 1:11 pm

 I love her site; she has recovered from BPD which makes her very insightful. She actually really gets what’s going on with us, which I find both comforting and at times painful to read about why I feel certain things and behave in certain unhealthy ways. I really think that she has one of the best BPD sites out there. I hope that you were able to gain some insight and some comfort from your session with her. I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. A.J. is an amazingly helpful professional to work with and I was helped and grew in ways I never thought were possible.

 

Being a Client of and working with A J Mahari

by albertJohnson » July 09, 2014 7:33 am

In my sessions with A.J. Mahari, over the last two and half years I have grown so much, learned so much and continue to be inspired, supported, and helped in ways that are helping me transform my entire life.
albertJohnson

Being a Client and working with A J Mahari

Postby FeelingBetter » Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:10 am

I have had telephone sessions with A J Mahari and she has helped me tremendously. I was in a long term relationship with a person with bpd and I first posted here in December 2009:borderline-personality/topic45145.htmlI discovered AJ Mahari and started working with her. At first I spent so much time talking about my ex and wondering why she did this and why she did that. AJ taught me a lot about bpd, but more importantly she helped me to begin to see that the more I kept focusing on my exbpdgf, the more I kept avoiding my own issues. She helped me to look within and face my own stuff, which included my own feelings of emptiness, loneliness, insecurity, sadness, and inner pain from my past (mine had a lot to do with growing up with virtually no validation from my parents). And so I found myself attracted to women who were self-absorbed or alcoholic or bpd.AJ Mahari is great. She really gets it since she is recovered from bpd and has even been on the other side in a relationship with someone who has bpd. She also talks a lot about that we each have this inner woundedness that we have to work through. Believe me, I’ve vented my anger, sadness, hurt, and I’m now in a great place in my life. I like me.I feel like I’m writing an endorsement, but I’m just trying to share with you what my experience was. If you haven’t tried that session yet then I’d recommend you do it. I feel like my life has been changed for the better. But it took me some time to work thru this stuff. I’d say, read her writings, be patient, and read other stuff on other forums too because there are a lot of others going thru the same things and it helped me to know that.

Good luck in your journey.

FeelingBetter

Being a Client and working with A J Mahari

by katana » Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:24 am

Glad she managed to help you, FeelingBetter! Her ebooks helped me a lot when i first started trying to sort through my problems, and still thought the idea that BPD might be part of them was ridiculous, lol. Reading them not only helped me see, but also helped me with other stuff too, so i’ve been one to recommend her too before. :)
katana

Being a Client and working with A J Mahari

by mstevens » Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:32 pm

I’ve been working one-on-one with AJ for a little over a year now. In our weekly telephone or video chat sessions, we talk about a variety of topics ranging from my BPD symptoms to events in my past that might account for certain behaviors to tools that can help me lead a better life in the present.I’ve documented some of my experiences here: http://theborderlineexperience.com/category/bpdetox/You will be exploring difficult and painful topics, so be prepared. AJ is supportive and kind, and her insights are usually very good. I’ve also found her audios helpful. Best of luck!-Mitchell Stevens

Being a Client and working with A J Mahari

Postby Duker » Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:09 pm

In my opinion not only is AJ the leading expert in BPD, she is one of the most ethical people I have ever known.I trust her completely and highly recommend her not as just and expert on BPD, but also as someone who has unique insights into the human condition in general.I would trust her with my life and I did.
Duker

Being a Client and working with A J Mahari

Postby pikidu » Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:07 am

I decided to talk to AJ after listening to a lot of her work on bpd online. She knows the ins and outs of bpd and can explain its complexity in a way that’s really accessible. In my sessions with her, I have found her to be down-to-earth and laid-back. She will draw on examples from her own experience which makes you feel like you’re talking to a friend, and she does not pull punches when giving her opinions. She has a real no-nonsense approach that makes talking to her really worthwhile!