About Us
Families On The Line:
A Practice For Patients And Their Families
The struggle of people who suffer with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or severe emotional dysregulation, and that of their families, is deeply painful. This practice was originally founded to help patients strive for a life worth living; and as they do so, to fully benefit from the support of their families, as in fact DBT-based family support is proven to be an effective complement to DBT treatment for patients.
Today, Families On The Line is a fully DBT adherent practice staffed with clinicians who are extensively trained in a variety of evidence-based therapies and who are passionate about easing the suffering of our clients with specialized and proven therapeutic interventions. Along with treatment for borderline personality disorder, we also offer our expertise in the treatment of trauma, anxiety disorders, grief and substance use related disorders.
We see patients in our Westport, CT and in our New Haven, CT offices.
Wherever they are located, we offer family members dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills-based family counseling and coaching via phone or Skype.
Marie-Paule de Valdivia
MBA, LCSW, CPFC - Founder, Families On The Line
My experience is unique and multi-faceted. I am the relative of a family member who manages their BPD symptoms and with whom I enjoy a loving relationship. I also have considerable experience working with family members and I am extensively trained in working with clients who suffer from the symptoms of BPD.
Julia Cardone
M.ed, LMSW
Julia is a Licensed Master of Social Work who enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults. She has extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and brings her experience in Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavior Therapy to her work with individuals and families.
Alli Kalpakci
PhD
Alli has an expertise in working with individuals who experience intense emotions that often lead to problems in interpersonal relationships, risky or impulsive behaviors, self-harm and suicide, and intense self-criticism and hopelessness.
Hedy Kober
PhD
Hedy completed her doctoral degree in psychology at Columbia University, with a focus on cognitive and affective neuroscience. She is currently completing her respecialization in clinical psychology. Before Hedy joined Families on the Line, she trained at Yale’s Intensive Outpatient DBT program and at Shoreline Psychological Services. Hedy is also an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at Yale, where she is the Director of the Clinical & Affective Neuroscience Lab.
The Fine Print
- Duration: Session length is 60 minutes
- Fees: We offer a range of fees based on services, from $150 to $250 for individual therapy and from $50 to $90 for skills groups; as well as a need-based sliding scale based on openings.
- Initial phone consultation at no cost. Goals are for you to evaluate whether we can be of help, and for us to ascertain whether we can indeed help you – and provide you with referrals and guidance if we can’t be of help.
- Method of payment: Upon billing, you can remit payment with a check or through PayPal.
- Insurance coverage: We are not paneled with insurance companies. We will provide you with all the bills and statements necessary to submit invoices to your insurance company.
- Coaching: If you live outside of Connecticut, the only service we can offer you is family/parent coaching, not therapy. While we in fact are practicing, licensed or supervised clinicians, offering therapy services across state lines is not allowed. We obtained coach certifications in order to offer this service beyond our state of licensure.
Read The International Coach Federation’s Code of Ethics to which we adhere.