Full Course Description

Program Information

Objectives

1. Determine the critical “ingredients” for effective DBT therapy.
2. Articulate the biosocial model of pervasive emotional dysregulation disorders found in innately sensitive children.
3. Utilize behavior modification strategies at the earliest stage of dysregulation.
4. Determine the importance of structure in both skills training and home environments and how to teach parents or care providers to implement these strategies.
5. Determine how to adapt each skills module to reflect the language of the child.
6. Determine the role of parents/therapists/care providers and how to reestablish a safe and loving structure that enables the child to learn and generalize skills.

Outline

Developmental Theory and Dialectical Behavior Therapy

• Biosocial Model
• Attachment style
• Impact of trauma
• Effects of inadequate validation in early emotional development
• Symptoms of a pervasive emotional dysregulation disorder
• Key Dialectical Dilemmas

Adapt DBT to Key Childhood and Adolescent Disorders

• ADHD
• Attachment Disorder
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)/Conduct Disorder (CD)
• Eating disorders
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Substance abuse

Skills Training with Experiential Activities

• Mindfulness (reducing vulnerability to self-medicating behaviors common in ADHD & Depression)
• Emotion Regulation (attachment disorders, anxiety)
• Distress Tolerance (ODD /AD HD/eating disorders)
• Interpersonal effectiveness
• Validation

Behavior Modification and DBT

• DBT relationship and change strategies
• Validation and change
• Practicing dialectical thinking
• Creating opportunities to practice skills to avoid ineffective coping behaviors

Group Skills Format

• Concurrent skills training
• Multifamily skills training
• Tracking outcomes to ensure effectiveness of approach