The Dialectics of DBT: Beyond the Skills

Today’s adolescents and young adults are facing an unprecedented epidemic of anxiety, depression, substance use, and other mental illnesses as a result of increasing disconnectedness amidst rapid global connectivity. Providers addressing these unintended consequences recognize that adolescents and young adults are far less able to build skills, self-motivate, and tolerate distress than ever before. This session dives beyond the typical emotional regulation skills known in basic Dialectical Behavioral therapy, into the dialectic between core mindfulness principles and self-initiated change to promote a life worth living for our younger generations.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:

• Identify some of the correlations between behaviorism, brain development, and depression/anxiety in today’s younger generations.
• Consider the multifaceted approach of ‘dialectics’— that multiple opposing factors can all be true at once.
• Help clients identify the challenges in their lives that stand in the way of their values.
• Understand and implement grounding and acceptance skills to promote lasting behavioral change in our clients.

About the Speaker:

Nicole Shaw

Site Director at Sandstone Care Outpatient Center, Reston VA

Nicole received her BS in Psychology from Brigham Young University, and her Master's in Social Work from the University of Utah. She has been immersed in the world of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy since 2012, specializing in clients with Borderline Personality Disorder and chronic suicidal and para-suicidal behaviors. Nicole was trained in the foundations of DBT and mindfulness at the DBT Institute of Portland, and she has traveled across the United States to train clinical teams on intensive DBT. Nicole has also taught DBT as an adjunct professor of the University of Utah. She is currently the Site Director at Sandstone Care’s Outpatient treatment center in Reston, where she applies her expertise on behaviorism, attachment theory, and DBT response strategies to support both adolescents and young adults.

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Host or Publisher Sandstone Care