Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Course: Intensive Training

CPD

Handouts

Speaker

Steven Girardeau, PsyD Related seminars and products

---

Steve Girardeau, PsyD, is the director of clinical services for Mental Health Systems (MHS), one of the largest DBT-specialized practices in the Midwest. He has overseen the care of thousands of clients including clients with co-morbid major mental health and personality disorders. Dr. Girardeau has worked in non-profit community mental health clinics, in private practice and in multi-clinic settings. He has been a therapist for over two decades, specializing in providing clinical services to clients with serious and persistent mental health diagnoses as well as personality and chemical use disorders. Dr. Girardeau served as the president of the Minnesota Psychological Association in 2017 and is active in that organization’s executive committee, governing council, and legislative and payer committees. He is also a member of a number of advocacy and policy committees and advisory groups in Minnesota. Dr. Girardeau is also politically active in the service of psychology and the needs of clients as the head of the MPA PAC, a political action committee for the state of Minnesota.

Dr. Girardeau has worked as a clinician, clinical director, training director, program supervisor and a clinical team consultant. He has extensive training in the treatment of chronic mental health conditions, most especially in the provision of DBT services. Dr. Girardeau began his DBT training 16 years ago as a practicum student at MHS, he received training through group shadowing, participation in DBT specific trainings (including ones presented by Dr. Linehan), and one on one and group supervision for DBT training. He was one of the early team leaders certified by the State of Minnesota for the provision of adherent DBT services. As the leader of a state certified program, Dr. Girardeau attended a number of state sponsored DBT trainings. He has provided trainings at regional conferences, local seminars and created training programs in the areas of DBT, abuse, crisis management and safety planning, clinical work with clients with personality disorders, and treatment of clients with dual disorders. He has co-developed and implemented new clinical programming for a range of mental health diagnoses.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Steven Girardeau has an employment relationship with Mental Health Systems. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Steven Girardeau is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Minnesota Psychological Association.

 

Steve Girardeau is not affiliated or associated with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, or her organization.

 

Objectives

1. Integrate the theory and techniques of DBT into your clinical practice.
2. Teach DBT skills in the areas of Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
3. Incorporate how to integrate DBT skills for individual and group therapy treatment.
4. Utilize DBT skills for treating mental health symptoms, chemical dependency and complex co-morbidity.
5. Designate additional tools and resources for implementing DBT in a clinical setting.
6. Articulate a variety of strategies for teaching DBT skills to clients.
7. Recommend how to seamlessly integrate DBT skills into individual therapy.
8. Discriminate the DBT model from cognitive-behavioral, client-centered, and other treatment modalities.
9. Practice a multi-layered approach to validation of clients’ thoughts and feelings.
10. Employ DBT diary cards and chain (change) analysis in clinical practice.
11. Propose how to operate with consultative groups and treatment teams.
12. Assess and manage self-injurious and suicidal behaviors with clear protocols and safety plans.

Outline

• Dialectics explained
• Core philosophies in practice
• Skills training techniques

• Grounded in the present while being connected to past & future
• Using core skills to achieve “Wise Mind”
• Learn classic and innovative mindfulness skills
• Mindfulness exercises

• Building frustration tolerance
• Utilizing crisis survival strategies and plans
• Learn classic and innovative Distress Tolerance skills
• Distress Tolerance exercises

• Understanding emotions and reducing vulnerability
• Incorporating self-care, opposite action and building positive experience
• Learn classic and innovative emotional regulation skills
• Emotional regulation exercises

• Balance in relationships
• Objective, relationship and self-respect effectiveness
• Learn classic and innovative interpersonal effectiveness skills
• Interpersonal effectiveness exercises

• Understanding how therapy works: The Contextual Model
• Evidence-based practice
• Maximizing therapeutic factors, DBT-style
• Essential elements and functions of DBT revisited

• Structure as a therapeutic factor
• Structuring the therapy environment
• Identifying treatment targets: suicidality, self-injurious behavior (SIB), therapy-interfering behavior (TIB), and other targets

• Levels of validation
• Validation as an informal exposure technique

• Self-monitoring with the diary card
• Behavioral contingencies
• DBT-style cognitive interventions
• Behavior Chain (Change) Analysis

• Increase your motivation
• Develop effective responses
• Qualities of effective treatment teams

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Social Workers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals

Reviews