Getting to the Heart of the Problem: Targeting, Assessing and Solving Problem Behaviors

This training is designed for experienced individual psychotherapists with solid familiarity with DBT to help them define client problems and develop effective solutions with clarity and precision.

One of the difficulties in treating complex clients is deciding how to spend session time when the client presents with multiple problem behaviors in a given week. Determining treatment priorities in the midst of unrelenting client crises can feel overwhelming and confusing even to the most experienced therapist, and can lead to diminished motivation for clinician and client alike. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps address this common problem by using a treatment hierarchy to prioritize behaviors to target in session. One function of targeting is to determine which behaviors need to be assess and solved. Chain analyses set the stage for understanding behavior and intervening with increased precision and efficiency. A clear understanding of the options for solving problems, based on a well-formulated problem and clear assessment, can help clients and therapists experience success in treatment. This helps avoid the problems that many experience of inefficient use of time and feeling stuck in therapy. When done correctly, both you and your client will have a clear snapshot of the variables at work during a given behavior, highlight problematic behavioral patterns, and find new behaviors to put to work for your client.

This training is highly experiential and will include topics such as setting precise and appropriate treatment targets tailored to the patient’s clinical presentation, and conducting accurate chain and solution analyses. Instructors will utilize a combination of lecture, demonstration, and practice of DBT interventions. Participants will have multiple opportunities for hands-on practice throughout the workshop.

This training is intended for mental health professionals who have knowledge of, experience, and/or prior training in DBT, and want to advance their skills in targeting behaviors and conducting chain and solution analyses with clients with multiple problems.

Primary Objective:
As a result of this training, participants will be able to assess problems and develop effective solutions.

Learning Objectives:
1. Prioritize target behaviors for individual State 1 DBT sessions when clients present with multiple problems.
2. Identify the critical variables influencing a problem behavior by use of chain analyses.
3. Explain the difference between chain and solution analyses.
4. Define and test hypotheses about problem behaviors.
5. Conduct solution analyses.
6. Troubleshoot common problems in implementing chain analysis procedures.

 

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