Dialectical Behavior Therapy Essential Skills Conference March 5-6, 2021

The Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance is pleased to present a live, remote, instructor-led DBT Essential Skills Conference featuring Dr. Leslie Karwoski Anderson from the UCSD Easting Disorders Centers. The training will be applicable to anyone who works with emotionally dysregulated patients, especially patients who experience suicidality or self-harm. This training will also help clinicians learn skills for working with patients experiencing eating disorder symptoms. Attendees will be able to engage in four monthly one-hour follow up sessions with Dr. Anderson to discuss questions on applying DBT skills in practice. 12 CEUs for Alaska LPCs, LSCWs & LMFTs (pending approval). Click on Read More below for bio and course goal/description.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Leslie Karwoski Anderson is a clinical associate professor and training director at UCSD Eating Disorders Center. She has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas, and completed her clinical internship at Duke University Medical Center. She is also a consultant and trainer with Marsha Linehan’s training organization, Behavioral Tech, and is a DBT-certified clinician. Dr. Anderson currently oversees the training and clinical supervision of the UCSD EDC staff, and conducts individual, family and group therapy for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and OSFED. Her research interests are in treatment development, evaluation, and outcomes, especially with regards to adaptations of DBT and FBT, and she has published many journal articles and two books in this area. She frequently gives talks and workshops on DBT, eating disorders, suicidality, and related topics in the community and at national conferences.

Course Goal/Description

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an intensive, highly structured treatment originally developed for use with suicidal, emotionally dysregulated patients. DBT is a behavioral treatment that includes an emphasis on skill building and mindfulness, and it has been increasingly applied to a variety of diagnoses, levels of care and age groups. Comprehensive, adherent DBT includes four components: individual therapy, skills training, phone coaching and consultation team. This training will focus specifically on DBT skills, and participants will learn how to conduct skills training in a group or individual format.

Learning objectives (1 per contact/credit hour):

• List and describe the components of adherent DBT
• Learn how to conduct at least one mindfulness exercise
• Name and define the "what" skills in mindfulness
• Name and define the "how" skills in mindfulness
• Explain when crisis survival skills are applicable for a patient
• List at least 5 crisis survival skills that a patient could use to tolerate distress
• Describe radical acceptance and why it is an important skill
• Define the main skills in emotion regulation: Identify Emotions, Act Opposite and Reduce Vulnerability
• List the three possible objectives in any interpersonal situation in Interpersonal Effectiveness
• List the components of a DEAR MAN
• List and describe the components of GIVE and FAST
• Describe two elements of the DBT theoretical approach that are useful in treating eating disorders

This program and subsidized conference fees were made possible by generous grants from the GCI Suicide Prevention Fund at the Alaska Community Foundation, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Anchorage East Rotary, and Coastal Wellness & Counseling. Supporting partners include Alaska Behavioral Health, NAMI Anchorage and Southcentral Foundation.

Recommended materials to purchase if attendees don't already own them include:

1) "DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, 2nd Edition" by Marsha Linehan

2) "DBT Skills Training Manual, 2nd Edition" by Marsha Linehan