Gunderson Residence at McLean Hospital

Depth Core

Cambridge, MA, United States

psychiatric

About

The Gunderson Residence, established in 2009 within McLean Hospital's comprehensive personality disorder services, represents one of the few residential programs in the United States to integrate transference-focused psychotherapy and mentalization-based treatment as primary modalities for severe personality pathology. Named in honor of John Gunderson, MD, a pioneering figure in borderline personality disorder research, the program provides twice-weekly individual psychotherapy, weekly family therapy, and four to five daily group sessions within a structured residential milieu. The residence operates as a small therapeutic community designed for women navigating personality disorders complicated by co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Affiliated with Harvard Medical School, the program maintains rigorous clinical training standards and contributes to the empirical literature on personality disorder treatment. The Gunderson Residence is distinguished by its commitment to psychodynamic understanding of personality organization alongside evidence-based behavioral interventions.

Depth Orientation

Transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP), a rigorously structured psychodynamic approach rooted in object relations theory, is a core modality addressing disturbances in self-identity, interpersonal relationships, and affect regulation. Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) further deepens the psychodynamic framework by cultivating awareness of internal mental states. All staff clinicians are doctoral-level professionals with intensive training in both MBT and DBT, operating within a Harvard Medical School teaching faculty.

Treatment Modalities

Transference-Focused PsychotherapyMentalization-Based TreatmentDialectical Behavior TherapyPsychodynamic PsychotherapyGroup TherapyFamily TherapyMedication Management

Program Details

Length of Stay Average 3-4 months; minimum 60 days

Cost Approximately $1,350/day; minimum 60-day stay. Private pay; some out-of-network reimbursement possible.

Insurance Private pay

Populations Adult women (cisgender and transgender), Nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth

Best for

Borderline personality disorder
Severe personality disorders with co-occurring conditions
Treatment-resistant personality pathology
Women requiring structured psychodynamic residential care

Notable Clinicians

Lois W. Choi-Kain, MEd, MD, DFAPA — Director, Gunderson Personality Disorders Institute; developer of the Gunderson Residence; Harvard Medical School faculty

Contact

Website +1-888-657-5699