DBT in a Day: A Fast-Track Training on DBT Skills You Can Instantly Use with Almost Any Client

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All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Speaker

Tara Arnold, PhD, LCSW, CEDS-C, RYT-200 Related seminars and products

Deepen Wellness

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Tara Arnold, PhD, LCSW, CEDS-C, RYT-200, has over two decades of experience specializing in treating clients and families facing over-control, eating disorders, substance abuse, and related challenges. With a doctorate in social work and extensive training in DBT, CBT, and RO DBT, she provides individualized, evidence-based care in her private practice, Deepen Psychotherapy at WholeHeart.

As an educator and mentor, Dr. Arnold has led national DBT and eating disorder education since 2000 and offers clinical supervision and training to therapists. She serves as the mentorship leader for IAEDP Atlanta and has previously been the mentorship chair for GSCSW. A certified yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner, Dr. Arnold integrates mindfulness, energy work, and somatic therapies into her practice to promote holistic healing. Known for her compassionate approach, she fosters a safe, nurturing space where clients can explore their challenges and achieve lasting growth and resilience. Dr. Arnold’s dedication to her clients and passion for advancing mental health education make her a respected leader in the field of wellness and psychotherapy.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Tara Arnold maintains a private practice. She is a consultant and receives a speaking honorarium with The Knowledge Tree. Tara Arnold receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Tara Arnold is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work, the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and the American Academy of Psychotherapists. She serves on the Board of IAEDP as the Mentorship Chair.

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Objectives

1. Identify the origins, foundational concepts and key principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
2. Examine the evidence, limitations, and treatment risks of DBT
3. Choose mindfulness techniques to support emotional regulation and symptom management in DBT.
4. Examine how DBT skills like the STOP skill and distraction techniques enhance clients distress tolerance abilities.
5. Evaluate the clinical efficacy of DBT interpersonal effectiveness interventions on treatment outcomes.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of DBT with a diverse range of clients including individuals with substance use disorders, anxiety, and trauma.

Outline

DBT Overview and Principles

• History, development, and core principles
• The structure of DBT
• Acceptance, change, and balancing dialectical thinking
• The DBT therapist’s role
• Research, risks, and limitations

DBT Mindfulness Skills

• Skills overview: observing, describing, and participating in the moment
• Radical acceptance: understanding and practicing
• The “What” and “How” Skills: observe, describe, and participate mindfully
• Integrate mindfulness into routine and therapy sessions

Distress Tolerance Skills

• Managing crisis without worsening the situation
• The STOP Skill: Stop, take a step back, observe, proceed
• Distraction techniques to alleviate emotional intensity
• Self-soothe with the five senses: Practical exercises
• Weighing the consequences of actions during moments of distress

Emotion Regulation Skills

• How DBT helps people gain control over overwhelming emotions
• Identify and label emotions: The importance of emotional awareness
• Opposite action: Choose behaviors that counteract negative emotions
• Build positive experiences: Engage in activities that promote positive emotions
• Practices to increase emotional resilience and well-being

Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

• Understand interpersonal effectiveness: Build healthy, effective relationships
• DEAR MAN: Assertive communication for getting what you want
• GIVE: Maintain relationships with respect and care
• FAST: Maintain self-respect in relationships
• Using DBT skills to manage conflict and difficult conversations

Apply DBT to Specific Conditions and Client Types

• DBT for trauma and PTSD: Adapting DBT techniques for trauma survivors
• Tailor DBT to manage anxiety and depression
• Adjust DBT techniques to meet the unique needs of younger clients
• Skills for working with clients who engage in self-harm, substance abuse, or suicidal behaviors

Target Audience

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