Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Certification

This online course will consist of 6, 4 hour sessions. The program will be streaming live on

• Monday, February 5, 2024

• Monday, February 12, 2024

• Monday, February 26, 2024

• Monday, March 4, 2024

• Monday, March 11, 2024

• Monday, April 8, 2024 

Please note, there is NO class on

• Monday, February 19, 2024 (Family Day)

• Monday, March 18 & 25, 2024 (Spring Break)

• Monday, April 1, 2024 (Easter)

Registration will close on February 2, 2024. 

Recorded footage and all course content (certificate, videos, quiz) will be available until April 15, 2024. Participants are encouraged to attend the live sessions to be able to interact and participate in group discussions/activities. Extensions cannot be granted under any circumstances. Please allow 1 – 3 business days after the session airs for recorded footage to become available.

Workshop Description:

This 6-week course will teach you how to use Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) as a highly effective tool in your therapy to treat clients with problems managing emotions. DBT has been proven effective as a strategy for treating bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, concurrent substance use; as well as problems with shame, anger and grief.

Your instructor Sheri Van Dikj, MSW, RSW, will utilize lecture, experiential exercises, and case consultation to explore DBT strategies and behavioural principles. You will learn the four modules of DBT including: Core Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance.

This certification program is designed to equip therapists with useful DBT strategies to use in clinical practice resulting in improved therapeutic relationships and reduced feelings of ineffectiveness and burnout.

**Please note that, while you will be given a Certificate of Practice for attending this course, this is not equivalent to “Certification” in DBT through the Linehan Institute, but you can use the course hours toward your certification. Certification through the Linehan Institute is not required in order to practice DBT or DBT-Informed treatment.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn more about the origins of DBT, including a brief look at DBT versus CBT; the traditional DBT model including Stages of treatment; and research demonstrating the effectiveness of adaptations to DBT .

• Describe the biosocial theory and how this applies to BPD and other disorders of emotion dysregulation.

• Discuss behaviour theory and the importance of these concepts to building stronger relationships with clients, and to assist clients in making behavioural changes.

• Explain the basics of dialectics and dialectical strategies for the individual session to help get clients unstuck and to build the therapeutic alliance.

• Practice conducting a thorough Behavioural Analysis

• Reduce therapist burn-out through observing limits and use of skills such as nonjudgmental stance and radical acceptance

• Learn the Core Mindfulness skills and how to teach these to clients

• Explain skills in the Emotion Regulation module to give clinicians a basic understanding of how to teach these skills to clients to regulate emotions more effectively.

• Demonstrate the distress tolerance skills that will help clients survive crisis situations and learn how to not act on urges.

• Discuss Interpersonal Effectiveness skills: the importance of increasing and maintaining positive relationships and improving communication.

• Practice creating “mini-treatment plans” for clients

• Learn about and practice working within the structure of a DBT consultation team

Agenda

Session One:

• Origins of DBT

• Difference between DBT & CBT

• Intro to Mindfulness

• The research

• The Biosocial Theory

• Nonjudgmental Stance

• Assumptions about clients and clinicians

• Consultation Team

• Observing Limits

Session Two:

• Commitment Strategies

• Stages of Treatment

• The Diary Card

• Dialectics

• Validation

• Dialectical Strategies

• Behavioural principles

Session Three:

• The Behavioural Analysis (activity)

• Radical Acceptance

• Core Mindfulness Skills

Session Four:

• Emotion Regulation Skills (Part One):

• Model of Emotions

• Function of Emotions

• Observing & Describing Emotions (worksheet example)

• Increase pleasurable emotions

• Mindfulness of current emotion

• Emotion Regulation Skills (Part Two):

• Self-validation

• Opposite Action

• Cope Ahead

Session Five:

• Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills (activity)

• Distress Tolerance Skills

Session Six:

• Solution Analysis

• Mini Treatment Plans

• Discussion of skills with different diagnoses/problems

• Wrapping Up

• Questions & consultation

Who Should Attend:

Clinical Professionals: All mental health professionals including, but not limited to Clinical Counsellors, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Social Workers, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Hospice and Palliative Care Workers, School Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Addiction Specialists, Marital & Family Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants and all professionals looking to enhance their therapeutic skills.

Course Instructor:

Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW, has advanced degrees from York University and the University of Toronto and has been working in the mental health field since 2000. Her extensive experience with and knowledge of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness Practice has inspired her to write a number of books, and she regularly conducts training sessions for fellow professionals. Sheri worked at Southlake Regional Health Centre in an outpatient mental health clinic for 14 years, and now works full-time in her private practice.

Sheri has built a reputation for herself as an expert in providing Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – informed therapy and works from a trauma-informed perspective. In recent years Sheri has also become certified in providing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is currently working towards becoming an EMDR Consultant; has been training in Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR); and has become a certified Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) provider.

Fees

$849.00 + GST