In Person in Nanaimo and Virtual Across British Columbia
Personality Disorders
Personality-related challenges often involve long-standing patterns in emotions, relationships, and self-understanding. These patterns may develop over time as ways of coping with early experiences, stress, or relational environments.
Counselling can be supportive when these patterns begin to affect relationships, emotional well-being, or a sense of stability and identity.
At The Nest, we offer counselling that is calm, relational, and attentive to lived experience.
Counselling is offered in person in Nanaimo and virtually across British Columbia.
How personality-related challenges may show up
People seek counselling for personality-related concerns for many reasons, including::
Intense or rapidly shifting emotions
Difficulties with relationships or boundaries
Fear of abandonment or closeness
Identity confusion or instability
Cycles of conflict, withdrawal, or distress
Feeling misunderstood or overwhelmed by emotions
Support that focuses on understanding and steadiness
Counselling offers space to explore long-standing patterns with care and curiosity rather than judgment. Sessions can support emotional awareness, relational understanding, and the development of steadier ways of responding to stress and connection.
Support is collaborative and paced with care, recognizing that meaningful change often happens gradually. Counselling focuses on increasing understanding, capacity, and choice over time.
FAQs
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There are several different types of personality disorders, categorized into three clusters.
Cluster A includes personality disorders that display as odd or eccentric, such as paranoid, schizotypal, or schizoid.
Cluster B includes personality disorders characterized by dramatic, emotional, and erratic symptoms. This includes histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, and antisocial personality disorders.
Cluster C includes personality disorders that are more fearful and anxious in nature, such as obsessive compulsive, dependent, and avoidant.
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In order to receive a true diagnosis you need to be assessed by a mental health professional with special training in psychiatric assessment.
There are several different types of personality disorders, all characterized by their own set of symptoms; however all personality disorders are marked by a long-term, rigid pattern of emotions, behaviours, and cognitions, that cause distress in your daily life.
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Being in a relationship with a narcissist usually looks like a cycle of manipulaiton and emotional neglect, and control. Your spouse likely displays a lack of empathy, needs to be the centre of attention and dominate conversations, engages in severe gaslighting (makes you doubt your own reality), and deflects responsibility.
If you are experiencing any of these patterns, please reach out to a mental health professional for individual support.