Case Study Video
Odin at Admission
Odin arrived at The Dorm as a new college graduate who had been eagerly planning to apply to his dream environmental science graduate program. But with a new diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) alongside Autism, Odin was at a standstill. Struggling with emotional outbursts, sensory overload and crumbling confidence, he needed expert support to build coping skills and learn to navigate his new diagnoses before beginning his next academic chapter.
Diagnoses
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Goals: In His Words
- Take on graduate school without falling apart.
- Figure out how to express myself in a healthy way.
- Work on co-dependency and boundaries issues.
Treatment Schedule
Treatment Journey
- Odin was resistant to treatment at first, but his introduction to Executive Function Coaching and Group alongside Neurodiverse DBT, changed that. For the first time, skills were taught in a way he could process, helping him strengthen skills like emotional regulation, task initiation, and routine-building. Odin became one of the most highly motivated clients, known for taking extensive notes and applying what he learned in real time.
- RO-DBT and the Friendship Skills Group became particularly transformative for Odin, as they helped him relax his rigid thinking patterns and practice sustaining conversations, respecting boundaries, and learning to maintain healthy, meaningful friendships.
- Odin found solace in ridDANCE and Gentle Yoga when his mind felt overwhelmed, using movement as a way to practice the DBT skill set he was building.
- After extensive parent coaching to prepare for deeper work, family therapy sessions helped repair deep family dysfunction and rebuild trust. This reduced the fear of abandonment and eased long-standing emotional pain tied to Odin’s early experiences of neglect and inconsistency.
Group Spotlights
Executive Function Coaching:
- “Where I learned real-world skills like organization, planning, and follow-through on daily tasks.”
- Objectives:
- Planning, organization, and time management
- Task initiation and follow-through
- Systems and routines for daily functioning
- Skills Achieved:
- Organization and time management in daily life
- Follow-through on responsibilities, goals, and routines
- Ability to initiate and complete tasks
- Objectives:
- +37% ability to plan, strategize, and recognize what needs adapting to reach goals
- +52% improvement in consistent routines
Friendship Skills
- “Where I discovered the value of meaningful, in-person connection.”
- Objectives:
- Sense of relational safety
- Communication and social skills
- Engagement in in-person connection
- Skills Achieved:
- Comfort initiating and building relationships
- Trust in others and confidence in friendships
- Skills for in-person, real-world connection
- Objectives:
- 100% clients are more comfortable building trust and seeing the value of in-person, real-world connection
- 99% clients are more confident building and maintaining new, healthy friendships
Odin Today
When Odin discharged it was the same week he was accepted into a new graduate program for environmental science: a dream come true. He continued to work full-time tutoring before his move, even reaching out to new classmates ahead of time to build community and stability before he arrived—a proactive planning step he could have never fathomed before treatment.
Odin’s relationship with his parents looks different now too, new tools for navigating conflict slowly easing the fear of abandonment he had carried for years, and giving him the confidence to move across the country.
Today, Odin finally feels equipped to navigate his next chapter, sharing that it all managed to work out “exactly as it was supposed to.”
