Lived experience Committee

We are an international committee with people who have experienced living with a personality disorder, alongside their family, friends and carers.

About us 

We are the advisory committee to the ISSPD board, comprising passionate advocates from around the globe. Though in our early stages, we are committed to fostering diversity and international participation. Our focus is to integrate the perspectives of individuals with lived experience and their carers from various regions and backgrounds.

By uniting voices worldwide, we create a platform for sharing and learning. This collaborative exchange enriches research and strengthens international advocacy efforts.

Ultimately, we aim to ensure that individuals with personality disorders and their carers are met with compassion, care, and support that aligns with evidence-based practices. We strive to influence policies and practices to create a more understanding and supportive environment for everyone affected.

Illustration of people coming together on a top of a hill

Committee Members

Chair

Headshot Åse-Line Baltzersen

Åse-Line Baltzersen
Oslo, Norway

As a board member with lived experience, I am deeply committed to advocating for equal and improved treatment opportunities for individuals with personality disorders. This personal commitment arises from receiving life-saving treatment leading me to a life worth living. Today I live far beyond my wildest dreams – not in material terms, but in my everyday experiences.

My academic journey, including a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Health Research from the University of Oslo and a Bachelor’s in Public Relations and Market Communication from BI Norwegian Business School, has been integral to my advocacy. It was my bachelor’s thesis, a campaign plan for adolescents with BPD that opened my eyes to stigma and my privilege of receiving evidence-based treatment. My passion lies in exploring communication, stigma, knowledge translation, implementation science, and the power of digital networks to transform mental health care.

Secretary

Headshot Jill Townsend

Jill Townsend
Vancouver, Canada

I am a mother who has supported a child with BPD, a Board Member of Sashbear Foundation, and a Family Connections program peer facilitator. I am passionate about person and family-centered care, and the value of including lived experience expertise, in research and treatment for personality disorders. I am thrilled to join the ISSPD Board.
“Nothing for us, without us, and no one left behind. United, we are stronger.”

Member

Headshot Marsha Mcadam

Marsha McAdam
United Kingdom

As an Expert by Experience, influencer and ambassador, Marsha is committed to bringing about positive change within the mental health sector. She identifies as having a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and physical health comorbidities. Marsha is a Churchill Fellow (2023) and a recipient of the President’s Medal from the Royal College of Psychiatry (2023).

After receiving life-changing mentalisation-based therapy (MBT), and with the support and recognition of those working with her, Marsha embarked on a venture to use her lived experience to inform policymakers and clinical staff and support service transformation in both physical and mental healthcare.

More recently, Marsha has initiated, organised and led a national Personality Disorder and Stigma project with key UK clinical, voluntary sector and policy leaders. Marsha occupies important advocacy and advisory positions including as an Ambassador and Peer Consultant for Centre for Mental Health, is the Vice Chair on the NHS Confed’s Mental Health Network and is the Expert by Experience for Equally Well UK.

She has sat on some of the most transformative boards and panels, including being a member of the governments Mental Health Act Review Team, a founding member of the Speaker Collective and the Lived Experience Group for Equally Well.

Marsha is also a national speaker on matters such as parity of esteem, personality disorder, stigma and discrimination. Having the opportunity to help others enables Marsha to remain positive and is essential to her wellbeing.

Member

Headshot Rita Brown

Rita Brown
Melbourne, Australia

Rita Brown is a volunteer, founding board member and current President of the Australian BPD Foundation. The foundation is a volunteer led and run national charity that advocates for systemic change (state and federally) to enable a positive culture that supports the recovery and wellbeing of people with who have complex emotional needs, often associated with a diagnosis of ‘Personality Disorder’ (with or without experiences of complex trauma) and their families/carers. She has contributed to book chapters, research articles and presents at conferences and forums and to numerous state and national consultations and submissions.

Rita is also employed as an Associate Director Lived Experience Workforce and Advocacy/ Carer Consultant for Spectrum: specialising in Personality Disorder and Complex Trauma based in Melbourne, Australia where she draws on her lived experience of being a ‘carer’ to support other family members and regularly facilitates peer to peer interactive workshops for carers.

Member

Headshot Jillian Papa

Jillian Papa
USA

Jillian Papa, MPH is a professional program evaluator and a Board member with Emotions Matter, a US-based nonprofit organization with a mission to support, educate, and advocate for people impacted by borderline personality disorder. Jillian was diagnosed with BPD in 2012. As a result of DBT and medication management, she was able to achieve recovery. During her journey, she discovered Emotions Matter and was inspired by the mission. Over the last 7 years, she has supported Emotions Matter in varying capacities, including online peer support group facilitation and chairing the Program Evaluation Committee. Jillian is a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor for Save the Children US. She has spent the last decade of her professional career evaluating nonprofit and government children’s health programs. She received her Master’s degree in Epidemiology from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. .

Member

Headshot Christella Dwyer

Christella Dwyer
United Kingdom

Christella is the founder of FACTS (Families and Carers Training Support), a teaching course for families and carers of young people in association with Anna Freud, and leader of Harrow BPD Carers support group. she is based in the UK . She has also participated on parent and carer advisory boards for individuals supporting people with BPD, and volunteers on NHS mental health support services. She is passionate about improving mental illness services and carer-led support services.” Lately volounteers for her local NHS trust on Check in and chat, where referrals are offered 8 calls to support them. All of these things are life lines for people.