DBT Workshop (Foundation, Advanced + Radically Open)

What is DBT? Marsha Linehan and colleagues developed a systematic cognitive-behavioural treatment called Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for working with individuals who meet criteria for borderline personality disorder. The therapy aims to teach skills to improve emotional regulation which includes interpersonal skills, mindfulness and distress tolerance skills. Personal and environmental factors inhibit the use of behaviour skills that the individual possesses and frequently reinforce inappropriate behaviours. In individual treatment, DBT focuses on motivational issues and seeks to balance skill development with a supportive context that validates the person’s experiences.

However DBT also involves a considered focus on the therapeutic relationship and to therapy interfering behaviours. Examples of therapy interfering behaviours include the client’s poor compliance with aspects of the treatment contract, emotional withdrawal during sessions, missed appointments, and anger towards the therapist.

About the workshop: This workshop is intended for therapists who are familiar with, as well as those with little or no previous exposure to DBT or cognitive behavioural therapy. The format of the training includes lecture material, videotapes of treatment, and practice exercises to teach the principles and strategies of DBT. The first 2 days are Foundation level, the third day is Advanced level for those who have already trained at Foundation.

The following topics are covered:

Day 1. A dialectical biopyschosocial theory of borderline personality disorder; structuring treatment for multi-problem, high-suicide risk clients; basic strategies used in individual DBT; enhancing & maintaining the therapy relationship; dealing with unrelenting crisis, applying behaviour change principles.

Day 2. Application and practise of DBT skills of Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Emotional Regulation. Group issues in DBT.

Day 3. (Optional) Advanced techniques covering: Structuring the session, Targeting & Case Formulation, Behavioural chain analysis and solution analysis, Contingency Management, Stylistic Strategies, Managing life-threatening behaviours, Monitoring adherence and outcomes, Common pitfalls and problems and how to overcome them, Complex case review (clinicians will be asked to complete a case formulation prior to the workshop for discussion throughout the workshop) + EXTRA INTRODUCTION TO RADICALLY OPEN DBT

About the Trainer

Dr Peter King has extensive experience as a Senior Clinician & Educator on Melbourne CAT teams and is a sought-after consultant. Peter provides education and program development in specialty areas that include Borderline Personality Disorder, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Crisis Intervention, Psychiatric Emergencies, Somatic Trauma Therapy and Mindfulness-based approaches in mental health care. Peter has specialist training in CBT, DBT, Somatic Trauma Therapy, Mindfulness and his Ph.D. explores treatments for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder and clinicians’ training needs. Peter has developed numerous adaptions of DBT for a variety of settings including “Dialectics at Work!“, public mental health services, and Indigenous populations. Peter is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer with Southern Cross University and is the Consortium Chair of Meadowbrook and Beaudesert headspace.

Cancellation policy

• Please note that if you wish to cancel your registration for any of our CPD courses, the following rules will be applied:
• Cancellations notified more than 3 months before the start of the event - 100% refund of the amount paid for the ticket (less administrative costs).
• Cancellations notified 1 to 3 months before the start of the event - 50% refund of the amount paid for the ticket (less administrative costs).
• No refund applies for cancellations with less than 1 months' notice.