DBT Informed Treatment: Exploring Distress Tolerance and Emotional Regulation Skills
$45.00
Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) has long been known as the go-to treatment model for Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD. DBT has also been shown to be effective for persons without DBT who may be struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, impulse control issues, and difficulty managing emotions. This training will introduce learners to the core tenets of DBT, including “DBT-informed treatment”, which is the application of DBT skills with non-BPD individuals. The two skills of distress tolerance and emotional regulation will be explored. Learners will obtain perspective on the use of DBT-informed skills and walk away with concrete tools and interventions to increase the client’s abilities to tolerate distress and regulate emotions.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Describe the core tenets of DBT and the basic foundations of the four core skills.
- Identify the components and skills of distress tolerance and emotional regulation.
- Integrate distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills into clinical practice.
Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 3 hours of Clinical, Evidence-Based Practices, and General Skill Building continuing education training.
Course Instructor: Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW
Recording Date: 4/27/2024
Recorded Live Webinar with downloadable presentation slides and/or handouts, evaluation, and a required quiz. The learner is required to pass with a 70% or higher to achieve the CE certificate of completion. The learner is able to reset the test until a satisfactory score is achieved. CE Training Workshops, LLC, provider #1770, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/2/2022 – 8/2/2025. CE Training Workshops, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CE Training Workshops, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. System Requirements: Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Safari, Edge on any modern operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS). A desktop browser is recommended. We do not provide support resources for issues encountered using a mobile device. For more information about our policies and board approval statements, please visit our FAQS page.
Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Kansas with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field.
DBT Informed Treatment: Exploring Distress Tolerance and Emotional Regulation Skills (3 HR) Syllabus
I. Foundations of DBT
- Developed by Marsha Linehan for treatment of BPD and non-suicidal self-injury
- Integrates CBT, mindfulness, dialectics, and validation
- Applicable beyond BPD to a range of emotional dysregulation presentations
- Focuses on acceptance and change through four core skills modules
II. Understanding Dialectics and Distress Intolerance
- Define dialectics as the integration of opposites
- Teach clients to hold two truths simultaneously (e.g., “I can accept myself and want to grow”)
- Identify distress intolerance as a key barrier to emotional stability
- Discuss common distress-intolerant beliefs and emotional avoidance strategies
III. Unhelpful Coping Strategies and Case Illustration
- Explore behaviors such as substance use, self-harm, rumination, and social withdrawal
- Use case study (“Jessica”) to contextualize client presentation and treatment planning
- Identify triggers, emotional responses, and behaviors that worsen distress
IV. Distress Tolerance Skills
- Teach crisis survival and reality acceptance techniques
- Introduce TIPP, STOP, pros and cons, radical acceptance, distraction, IMPROVE, and ACCEPTS skills
- Practice self-soothing using the five senses
- Develop a stepwise distress tolerance action plan tailored to client needs
V. Applying DT Skills in Clinical Scenarios
- Use behavioral assessments and chain analyses to guide intervention
- Develop specific, realistic, and structured plans for applying DT skills
- Reinforce skill use through follow-up and motivational enhancement
- Coach through ambivalence and validate resistance to change
VI. Emotional Regulation Skills and Theoretical Framework
- Define emotional dysregulation and outline contributing biological and psychological factors
- Explain the emotional dysregulation process including triggering events and after-effects
- Introduce emotion regulation tools: Check the Facts, ABC PLEASE, Opposite Action, and problem-solving
- Highlight importance of emotion myths and reinforcement history
VII. Creative Tools and Strategies for ER Skills
- Use metaphors (weather, animals, desserts) to increase emotional awareness
- Practice increasing positive emotions through mindful pleasant experiences and relationship repair
- Use coping cards and “Cope Ahead” planning for high-risk emotional situations
VIII. Special Considerations and Youth Application
- Address barriers to ER skill use such as overload, trauma, and avoidance
- Adapt DBT skills for children with intellectual and emotional dysregulation
- Review a case study of “K” and measure outcome changes pre- and post-intervention
IX. Validation Skills and Closing Reflections
- Teach essential validating statements and avoid invalidation
- Reinforce the therapeutic value of listening, empathy, and acceptance
- Provide resources and worksheets to support ongoing DBT-informed practice
