April 7, 2017

(For DBT Skill Group Leaders and Psychodrama/Drama Therapists)
 

with Rebecca Walters, MS LMHC LCAT TEP

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a therapeutic approach developed by psychology researcher Marsha Linehan, PhD. It was initially developed to treat patients with borderline personality disorder and chronic suicidal ideation. However, extensive research has shown its effectiveness in the treatment of other disorders such as bulimia, depression, anxiety, addiction and more. In DBT treatment, clients meet with a therapist individually. In addition, they take part in DBT skills groups where together a group of participants learn skills such as distress tolerance, regulation of emotions, conflict resolution, and mindfulness.

Unfortunately, many therapists running skills groups lack training in experiential or action oriented therapies. They may provide clear instructions and didactic information regarding the skills to be learned and offer handouts, simple role plays, and homework sheets. This frequently leads to clients experiencing the work as dry, non-engaging and difficult to fully assimilate and use.

 

What's Different about DBT in Action?
When led by someone skilled in psychodrama, DBT skills take on a very different feel and appearance. Material is no longer dry but instead comes alive with actively engaged participants. By becoming active in the learning process, DBT skills are learned more quickly and retained longer. When learning and practicing these skills in action through psychodrama, sociodrama, and role playing, clients often find the groups more enjoyable and relate better to the information and
techniques being taught.

Psychodrama brings action based learning and body-mind awareness to learning processes and stresses identification of feelings. Feelings must be identified and experienced before adaptive behaviors or skills such as those of DBT can be learned, and those behaviors and skills must be practiced and experienced in action within the group before they are applied in day to day life. Psychodrama is a natural partner to DBT in its effectiveness as a method of experiential learning, and its techniques for promoting mindfulness, distress tolerance and emotional regulation. Psychodrama is also used to enhance communication skills and relationships between individuals. One of the great strengths of psychodramatic method is its emphasis on expanding the "roles" that an individual feels comfort with in their life. This can promote an individual's tolerance for being required to step into new roles in their life, a transition that can be difficult for many people. DBT skills groups that use action methods such as psychodrama are creative and engaging, as well as being extremely practical. They enhance the teaching and learning of core DBT skills.

 

What You Will Learn in a DBT in Action Workshop:
During this training you will learn how to apply psychodramatic and sociodramatic techniques to teaching the core skills of Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal communication. 

 

Who Are DBT in Action Trainings for?
This workshop is NOT an introductory workshops to DBT. It assumes familiarity with DBT through formal training or, at a minimum, through working in a DBT program. It is also appropriate for those who lack DBT training but who have advanced training in psychodrama or drama therapy. DBT in Action trainings are not intended to replace training in either method. Our goal is to give group leaders new and tested methods for teaching DBT skills and to provide psychodramatists and drama therapists with some new possibilities for applying the skills they already know.

 

When:           Friday, 4/7/17,  9:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Information: Sylvia Israel (415) 454-7308 or sylvia@imaginecenter.net

Location:      IMAGINE! Center for Creativity & Healing, San Rafael, CA. 

Fee:               $150 by 3/7/17;  $175 after. 

Registration: Send check made out to: Sylvia Israel 1924 Fourth St. San Rafael, CA 94901. Please send your experience in DBT or psychodrama/drama therapy by mail or email. Fees fully refundable until 3 weeks prior; 50% refundable after; no refunds day of workshop.

 

The event is now full, if you would like to be placed on the waitlist, please email Sylvia at sylvia@imaginecenter.net.

Buy Tickets on Eventbrite: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dialectical-behavior-therapy-in-action-tickets-31315122374

 

Continuing Education: 

Course meets the qualifications for 7 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Sylvia Israel, Provider # 019617, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEP.

Sylvia Israel maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. 

 

CEUs for Psychologists (Spiritual Competency Resource Center [SCRC] through American Psychological Association), and Nurses (SCRC, BRN Provider CEP10318). Questions: www.spiritualcompetency.com or contact David Lukoff, Ph.D.: david.lukoff@gmail.com.

 

Certificates will be distributed upon completion. Additional $25 fee.

See http://www.bayareamorenoinstitute.com/ceu-provider/ for information about Accommodations and Grievances.

 

Program Goal: 

Participants will be able to use interactive methods to teach DBT skills. 

 

Learning Objectives: After the workshop participants will be able to:

- List three sociometric structures for increasing group cohesion

- Apply one action structure to asses and increase commitment to change

- Explain the importance of the Wise Mind and the value of embodying the role fully

- Describe the difference between sociodrama and psychodrama and name their appropriate uses.

 

 

Rebecca Walters, MS, LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist), and TEP, is the co-director of the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute since 1989. She was a psychodramatist at Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital, Katonah, NY for over twenty five years and recently retired as the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychodrama Services where she ran six DBT in Action skills groups a week with adolescents and children. 

Rebecca is a sought after international trainer and is known for her expertise in the use of action methods with children and adolescents. She has brought her well received training seminars on the use of action methods with children and teenagers to conferences and training institutes throughout the US and abroad. She is currently on the faculty of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's I*CARE, a program for Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Enhancement dedicated to improving the communication among cancer patients, their families and their providers.

Rebecca was an elected member of the Executive Council of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP), an organization in which she is a Fellow. She is the 2010 recipient of their Hannah Weiner Awarded which honors her years of service to the ASGPP. She is the past president of the Hudson Valley Chapter of the ASGPP.

Rebecca is certified as a Trainer, Educator and Practitioner by the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy.

 

Registrar: 

Sylvia Israel, LMFT (mfc 31245), TEP, RDT/BCT is a nationally certified Psychodrama Trainer, Educator and Practitioner and a Registered Drama Therapist/Board Certified Trainer. She is a founding member of Bay Area Moreno Institute where she provides Psychodrama Training and Workshops.  Sylvia is a Trainer in the Therapeutic Spiral Model of working with Trauma and has taught about PTSD and Action Methods at CA Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), JFK University, and other graduate programs. An international presenter, Sylvia is on the faculty at CIIS and Kansas State University.  She has presented at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and integrates mindfulness, somatic therapy and expressive arts therapies into her work. Sylvia maintains a private psychotherapy practice working with individuals, couples, families and groups in San Rafael and San Francisco.