At Cygnet Alders Clinic we provide a specialist psychologically informed personality disorder pathway across three living areas; Severn, for assessment and stabilisation; Avon, where residents move as they engage and progress with their treatment pathway; and Coln, which focuses on transitioning to the community.

We have a substantive multi-disciplinary team (MDT) comprising of a hospital manager, head of care, psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy, nursing and support workers. We work closely with the local community, including dieticians and primary care.

We promote physical health, wellbeing and meaningful occupation as part of our treatment programme, using strong community links to facilitate individualised wellbeing plans.

“Alders has changed my life… After 18 years of being in hospital I finally have a future!”Service user

Our approach:

We adopt an integrated modular approach to treatment for women with a diagnosis of personality disorder, accounting for diagnostic differences, NICE guidelines and the work of Livesley (2004).

With a focus on interpersonal relationships, we use individual formulation to deliver a personalised and integrated combination of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological interventions. These can include:

• DBT-informed Therapy
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT)
• Schema Therapy

Our aim is to address the core features of personality disorder: emotional regulation, interpersonal functioning, and self-identity and to prepare the women in our care for a transition to life back in the community.

Our pathway

Service user profile

• Women, aged 18+
• Complex mental health needs, challenging behaviours and a primary or secondary diagnosis of personality disorder
• May be detained under the Mental Health Act
• May have a history of substance misuse or dependency
• May have experienced regular placement breakdowns
• Sustained relational and social functioning problems
• Forensic or non-forensic history
• Capacity to engage
• Referrals accepted from Tiers 1-4