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 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.

About the Trainer

Dr Sian Jeffery is the Coordinator of the DBT programs at Fremantle Mental Health Service (FMHS) since 2009. She was involved in the establishment of the comprehensive year-long DBT program and a 20 week DBT skills group at FMHS. Dr Jeffery has completed intensive DBT training with Behavioral Tech (Marsha Linehan’s research and training organisation), as well as with the Portland DBT Institute. She has been an invited reviewer for journal articles in this area and has provided numerous presentations and workshops on working with borderline personality disorder and DBT around Australia. Dr Jeffery provides regular supervision in DBT and has consulted to a number of public and private services as they established their own DBT programs.

Seats can only be secured upon receipt of payment. As such we encourage prompt settlement of invoices.

Cancellation policy

Please note that if you wish to cancel your registration, 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 2 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 2 months' notice.

Venue subject to change