Baylie created the first BPD peer support group in 2010 and co-founded the BPD Society of BC in 2012 after recognizing the huge gaps in service and stigma surrounding BPD in our community. Not only does she have lived experience but she has her Masters in Clinical Social Work from UBC-O and is comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (including DBT-SUD, DBT-A, and RO-DBT).

Baylie has over 15 years of experience working in the human services field. She has worked in various organizations in different capacities, including outreach, non profits, and health authorities. She brings passion, dedication, and drive to supporting folks living with BPD and Complex PTSD, and various mental health, substance use and trauma concerns.

Baylie has facilitated our weekly, volunteer driven drop in group for over a decade. She has trained countless peer facilitators and presented at numerous educational workshops to health professionals to raise awareness on BPD. Baylie is currently the Clinical Lead for the DBT Consultation Team and is a group leader for the DBT Multi-Skills Group for Adults.

She offers a wealth of knowledge in counselling skills and has a radical genuineness for everyone she encounters. Baylie can often be found spending time with her cat, dancing and singing, on set as a background actress, and traveling the world.

Bryan recently completed 22 and half years of service with the Canadian Armed Forces, retiring as a Petty Officer 1st class. In that span he also completed a Bachelor of Military Arts and Sciences at the Royal Military College of Canada. With a strong background in leadership and shared experiences, Bryan has been co-facilitating the Society's weekly peer support group since 2021. He also is a volunteer coordinator training new facilitators for our peer support groups, is an exceptional speaker for our awareness presentations, and is a committee member helping secure funding for our programs and services.

Deborah brings to the Board of Directors her many years of experience as a business analyst, financial analyst, and project manager. Deborah has been a passionate supporter of the BPD Society since the beginning discussions of its creation and has been a facilitator with the Society’s support group since its very 1st session.

As the mother of someone with the diagnosis of BPD, Deborah is eager to share what she’s learned over the years with families and medical professionals particularly around effective ways to support a loved one with BPD and reduce stigma. Her favourite topic is validation! Deb enjoys gardening, genealogy, and riding her motorcycle.

Laurie Edmundson is a mental health advocate, the co-host of the Bold Beautiful Borderline podcast, a public speaker, and consultant on various projects. She lives with borderline personality disorder, anxiety, dysthymia/depression, disordered eating, and other challenges. She uses her personal story to help those who feel alone in what they are going through, parents and service providers who feel lost of disconnected in their ability to support the people they care about, and other professionals who wish to provide more compassionate care. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminology from Simon Fraser University, a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Population and Public Health and a Masters of Health Administration degree from the University of British Columbia. She has been working in health care for nearly a decade and has focused on improving culturally safe care and Indigenous health experiences through her various roles with the First Nations Health Authority since 2017.

Natalie Sparling has been a member of the board of the Borderline Personality Disorder Society of British Columbia since 2013. She is a lawyer practicing primarily in the areas of corporate and commercial law and also advises other non-profit and charitable organizations in various matters. She lives in Victoria with her husband and two children and spends her free time exploring the outdoors with her family or reading a book.

Jay Cavanagh is a self-identifying gay and first-generation doctoral student at the University of Calgary. His thesis research is primarily interested in the subjective sensory experience of the borderlines, and how people living within them make sense of their experiences and interact within different community spaces. This work is supported by a number of competitive scholarships, including the Michael & Michelle Williams Award in Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine Studies, which supported fieldwork in Rio de Janeiro around the life and work of Brazilian psychiatrist Dra. Nise da Silveira. A self-identifying member of mad and psychiatric survivor communities, Jay's work takes up the task of reorienting understandings of the borderline personality through lived-experience lenses. It sets out to frustrate the many ways in which society suppresses and systemically others neurodivergent ways of being and feeling, considering how a reimagining of how we conceptualise emotion and borderline experiences might contribute to better care and support for those living with mental illness. Jay divides his time between his academic work and community projects, serving not just as a peer facilitator but also, for example, as a co-host of The BPD Bunch, a video podcast by and for people living with BPD.

Avery is a dedicated mental health advocate within the BPD community, and facilitator for the BPD Society of BC’s virtual peer support group. Diagnosed with BPD in 2019, Avery has been practicing Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) since then and has been working as a DBT Skills Coach since March 2024. They identify as queer and nonbinary.

Avery is passionate about helping others affected by BPD understand that functional recovery is possible. As a facilitator, they take on a compassionate approach and aim to create a supportive space for people navigating BPD. They are currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and plan to obtain a master’s degree to further support those on their healing journeys.

Fiona is a Psychology BA student, minoring in Health and Society at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her lifelong passion for mental health advocacy is deeply shaped by her own experiences with mental illness and the stigma surrounding it. As someone in functional recovery from borderline personality disorder (BPD), she understands firsthand the difficulties of navigating mental health challenges.

Fiona is particularly passionate about examining and dismantling systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing the support they deserve. Through peer support, shared experience, and empathy, Fiona hopes that the BPD Society of BC can act as a safe haven for others on their recovery journey as it does for her. In addition to her involvement with the BPD Society, Fiona is involved in research examining culturally sensitive mental health resources, is a sexual health educator, and a crisis line respondent. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, crafting, and fostering cats!

Malaika is a compassionate doctor, loving friend, and devoted family member. Her global medical experience includes working at the Health Science Centre in Winnipeg, and the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago. She is driven to promote holistic approaches to wellness, empowering individuals to live balanced lives. With empathy and compassion at the heart of her practice, she strives to make a positive impact. When not practicing medicine, you can find her enjoying quality time with loved ones and animals on her farm in Pakistan. Maya Angelou’s wisdom resonates deeply with Malaika: “people will forget what you said, but never how you made them feel.”

Aishah Harden has been a facilitator for the BPD Society of BC since October 2023. She is a recent graduate from the Criminology program at Simon Fraser University who is passionate about working with vulnerable populations in a variety of settings. In particular, she is very interested about the links between mental illness, addiction, and trauma, and seeks to use this knowledge for good in her role as a peer support worker in a treatment centre setting. In the future, Aishah hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical Counselling.

As an individual who has benefited greatly from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Aishah uses the skills she learned in conjunction with her lived experience to provide empathetic and informed support to her peers in the BPD Society of BC’s online and in-person support groups. Through her work experiences and volunteering commitments, Aishah seeks to improve the support networks available in her community and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Trisha is a writer at heart, but for some time now she has been a co-facilitator with the BPD Society of BC’s weekly support group. Her memoir, “The Death of Small Creatures” was published in 2015 (Nightwood Editions). She recently graduated from the Interprofessional Mental Health & Addictions program through Camosun College. Much of Trisha’s writing is informed by her personal experiences with mental illness and addiction, and furthermore supplemented by her more recent clinical understanding of mental health and substance use. Her goals involve working with marginalized populations while continuing her pursuits as a professional writer and public speaker. Ultimately, she endeavors to combat stigma and promote healthy understanding of mental illness and addiction through her writing and public speaking engagements

Josh Craycroft is a person living with BPD and has been a peer facilitator for the BPD Society's Victoria support group since 2024.  He is proud that after attending the support group as a participant, lots of tears, and hard work in therapy such as CBT & DBT he has re-discovered himself and is sober. He thought he was alone in his struggles and relied heavily on his DOC for many years to cope with navigating life and deal with trauma.  He thinks what makes him a "good person" is being loyal to a fault to those he considers friends and family, is very approachable and puts people at ease, is willing to grow and learn even if it means stepping out of his comfort zone, is accepting of other people and patient enough to not get mad when they make a mistake, has a big heart, is very empathetic and has a well balanced sense of humor.  Josh is rekindling his love for writing and photography and slowly learning and becoming passionate about peer support work.   The community that is the BPD Society is where he feels safest and facilitating is important to him because he can support others from all walks of life to have that safe place and community to lean on, grow and learn from but most importantly that they know their not alone.

Josh Escobar (he/him) was born in Montreal and has lived in Victoria for the past six years with his wife and two amazing children. Josh is a person living with BPD and has been a facilitator with the Victoria peer support group and a speaker for awareness presentations since 2024. At first Josh felt confused about his diagnosis, as he didn’t know what it was, but ultimately, it was a relief—he finally had answers and a better understanding of himself. Growing up, he lacked the love and safety he needed, and for a long time, had to navigate the pain of his past alone. With the support of his wife and community, he has learned to face life’s challenges. Through peer support and DBT, he gained the tools to regulate his emotions, express himself in healthy ways, and stand up for himself. Josh's journey isn’t over, but feels empowered and equipped to become the best version of himself.

Ravenne Castle-Griffey has been involved with the BPD society since 2019 and took on a co-facilitator role in early 2025. She is a settler on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples (Greater Victoria) and grew up on these lands. She spends much of her free time hiking, jumping into cold bodies of water, and learning about native plants. Ravenne is passionate about holding space for individuals and their experiences with borderline personality disorder. Her deep value of reciprocity is what motivates her to give back to the organization and community that played an important role in her own life. As a co-facilitator, she practices creating a validating environment, and brings insights through lived experience and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy.

Katie is one of the facilitators for the peer support group in New Westminster. She also helps with organizing two social events a year, information booths, and is working on fundraising. She is also on the Accessibility Advisory Committee for the City of New Westminster, advocating for mental health. Katie identifies as someone with lived experience with BPD, and other mental health challenges. She is very passionate about mental health advocacy. Her hobbies are music, art, and poetry. 

Venus (they/she) is a psychology student at the University of Victoria, working toward their BSc in Psychology. A lesbian with lived experience of BPD, she is passionate about mental health advocacy, particularly how mental health systems impact queer and trans people, how misogyny shapes the diagnosis and treatment of femme-presenting individuals, and the systemic barriers that make accessing care so difficult.

They work as a social media assistant for the UVSS Pride Collective and their dance studio, using digital media to uplift marginalized voices and advocate for community care. With a strong interest in forensic psychology, trauma, and gender-based violence, Venus hopes to pursue graduate studies and eventually work with incarcerated youth and women, addressing the intersections of mental illness, gender, and the criminal justice system.

Outside of her academic and advocacy work, Venus is a writer, dancer, and drag performer. They believe in the power of self-expression as both resistance and healing, using storytelling to challenge stigma, explore identity, and remind people that being "too much" might just be enough.

Christina is in the final year of her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Victoria. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honors) from McGill University in 2018 and her Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from the University of Victoria in 2020. Christina's research and clinical experience focuses on borderline personality disorder and self-damaging behaviors (e.g., suicidal thoughts and behaviors, nonsuicidal self-injury, disordered eating, substance misuse). She recently completed a practicum placement at the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Centre of Vancouver, where she provided full program DBT services to adolescents and adults with borderline personality disorder symptoms, which was supervised by a registered psychologist.

Alayna has her Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Psychology from the University of Victoria and her undergrad thesis was on healthcare-seeking patterns among people with BPD. She loves working with the BPD population, and has come to know some of the most compassionate, insightful, and creative people over the 2 years that she co-facilitated the BPD Society’s support group.

Alayna is also comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy—an intervention specially curated towards BPD. Additionally, she has done trauma-informed work with survivors of sexual assault for several years, supported people with schizophrenia, and has volunteered abroad with a medical humanitarian organization.

All of these rewarding opportunities and the relationships Alayna has made through them have led her to appreciate the importance of ethical, evidence-based, validating, and compassionate mental healthcare to those with highly stigmatized disorders. She is a member of the DBT Consultation Team, and also a group leader for the DBT Multi-Skills Group for Adults.

Shay is a Registered Social Worker with a Master of Social Work from UBC Okanagan. They are passionate and committed to an anti-oppressive and trauma-informed approach to mental health care that is grounded in compassion, authentic connection, community care, and liberation. In addition to facilitating the DBT skills group for adolescents and their families, Shay has a private practice where they work with survivors of sexual violence and folks identifying as trans, non-binary, or queer. They strongly believe in the importance of addressing internalised shame through acknowledging the ways in which society has stigmatized folks with marginalized identities and diagnoses. In their spare time, you can find them reading science fiction, drinking copious amounts of tea, laughing with friends, dancing to deep, dark wubs, and snuggling their cats.

Lisa is a Registered Social Worker with both a Bachelor and Master Degree in Social Work. Since 2012, she has worked extensively in child welfare, with youth who have disabilities, and in the counselling field in the areas of mental health, substance use, and supporting women and children affected by violence. Lisa also holds an Associate Certificate in Trauma & Crisis Intervention from JIBC and is internationally certified as a Trauma Treatment Specialist.

In addition to her social work practice, Lisa serves as a rural Firefighter bringing valuable insights of the first responder culture to her practice. She also provides specialized Disaster Psychosocial Support province-wide to individuals and groups affected by disasters such as wildfires and floods.

Since founding her private practice in January 2023, Lisa has specialized in critical incident debriefing and counselling for trauma, mental health concerns (including BPD, anxiety, and depression), substance use, first responders, and crisis intervention. She is trained and experienced in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), offering a down-to-earth, client-centred, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approach. Lisa has been a DBT Group Leader with the BPD Society of BC since May of 2024.

We were very sad to lose our own Elizabeth Charlotte Bogod in 2013.  Elizabeth was unique, and there are many in Victoria who will relate to the help she gave to them on their path to wellness.  Elizabeth was always at the ready for those experiencing difficulties, fighting with courage and conviction for their needs and rights. She was known throughout the Victoria Mental Health Community for her advocacy and for the inspiration she gave to so many in their own battles. At a time when she was, herself, in immense emotional pain, she went for help to Psychiatric Emergency Services at the Archie Courtnall Centre, Victoria, where she was greeted by a social worker, “So you are Elizabeth Bogod, I am proud to meet you”.

Elizabeth pioneered the frontiers of the mental health system in Victoria, challenging it to revisit itself.   She long maintained that those with the experience of mental illness were best equipped to help those in distress. She was a strong advocate for the Peer Support System, maintaining that those who have had personal experience of mental health issues are better able to support others. She researched the widely-accepted treatment for BPD, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) created by Marsha Linehan, a Professor at the University of Washington, and then created, built and facilitated the New Light Recovery Program, an 18 week skills-based training program based on the tools Ms Linehan had developed for those who have overwhelming emotions. 

Elizabeth hated the label “Borderline Personality Disorder”.  She felt the words in no way described the nature of the disorder. In her view, those with BPD are neither at the border nor do they have a personality disorder. She felt it was very discriminating and the public perception was that of a bad personality, even a bad person.  She wrote to the American Psychiatric Association, the professional body responsible for the DSM (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders) about changing the label to Emotional Dysregulation Disorder and also did an online petition.  To-date, the hated and non-descriptive label remains.

Elizabeth did so much for others in the short time she was here despite her own very serious challenges of innate neural deficits and trauma leading to mental illness. Her innovations to help others, her creativity, her writings, her poetry, her art work will live on. Her technical expertise, her ideology, her passions, the many peers she served so well, are here in positive and visible ways for all.  She left a legacy which will live on in many hearts and in many practical ways.