1
SYLLABUS
PSY 480.31 – Practicum Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Group
Illinois State University, Spring 2012
Course Information:
Classroom – DeGarmo 404
Meeting Time – T 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
http://psychology.illinoisstate.edu/aehouse/
Instructor Information:
Dr. Alvin House
DEG 419, 438 – 8508
aehouse@ilstu.edu
Course Goals
For those taking the course as part of a masters program in clinical-counseling
psychology, the course is designed to meet the following program objectives:
1. Gain knowledge and experience with a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills
Group
2. Gain a conceptual understanding of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Course Description
The purpose of the DBT Skills Group is to teach a set of coping responses we
believe will be useful to participants in many areas of their lives. The group will
combine brief lectures and discussions of key ideas from the DBT literature with
exercises to illustrate the points discussed and begin turning these ideas into
natural responses we make in our day-to-day life. There will be “homework” and like
many aspects of our lives – you will probably find the more you enter into activities,
the more you will gain.
Text and Readings
Required Texts:
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline
personality disorder. New York: Gilford Press.
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Skills training manual for treating borderline
personality disorder. New York: Gilford Press.
2
Supplemental Texts:
Koerner, K. (2012) Doing Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A practical guide.
New York: Guilford Press.
McKay, M., Wood, J.C., & Brantley, J. (2007). The Dialectical Behavior
Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT exercises for learning
mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, &
distress tolerance. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2010). Mindfulness and acceptance-based
behavioral therapies in practice (Guides to individualized evidencebased treatment). New York: Gilford Press.
Smalley, S. L., & Winston, D. (2010). Fully present: The science, art, and
practice of mindfulness. DeCapo Lifelong Books.
Swales, M.A. & Heard, H.L. (2009). Dialectical Behaviour Therapy:
Distinctive features. New York: Routledge
Assignments and Grading
Your
-
grade will be based on the following class components:
Attendance
Participation
Keeping weekly mindfulness journal
Weekly question preparation
Appropriate implementation of the DBT skills trainer strategies
Academic Integrity and Confidentiality:
If it becomes apparent that a student’s work is not his/her own, he/she will
receive a 0 on the assignment, may received an F in the course, and may be
referred to the appropriate university office for disciplinary action.
Additionally, as an employee of Illinois State University, I understand that some of
my work will involve access to information/records that are considered confidential.
I acknowledge my responsibility to respect the confidentiality of student, patient,
or department records, to follow office procedures in order to protect privacy,
and to act in a professional manner, both to the public and over the phone.
3
Topics and Readings:
WEEK 1
1/17 – Introduction to the course and overview of syllabus
WEEK 2
1/24 – The philosophy of DBT
Reading Assignment: Skills Manual, Chapter 1 – 6 (pp. 1 – 62), Linehan (1993),
Chapter 1 (pp. 3 – 27)
WEEK 3
1/31 – Valued Living
Reading Assignment: Roemer & Orsillo (2010), Chapter 7 – 8 (will be handed
out)
WEEK 4
2/7 – Commitment to Values and group presentation practice
Reading Assignment: Skills Manual, Chapter 7 (pp. 63 – 69), review handouts
(pp. 109 – 113), Linehan (1993), Chapter 4 (pp. 97 – 119)
WEEK 5
2/14 – Mindfulness
Reading Assignment: Review mindfulness chapters, review handouts, Skills
Manual (pp. 19 – 20), Smalley & Winston (2010), Chapters 2 – 3 (will be
handed out)
WEEK 6
2/21 – Validation and problem-solving strategies
Reading Assignment: Linehan (1993), Chapter 8 – 9 (pp. 221 – 291)
WEEK 7
2/28 – Interpersonal Effectiveness
Reading Assignment: Skills Manual, Chapter 8 (pp. 70 – 83), review handouts
(pp. 115 – 133)
4
WEEK 8
3/6 – Review Interpersonal Effectiveness module
Reading Assignment: Linehan (1993), Chapter 5 (pp. 120 – 164)
WEEK 9
3/13 –
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS on TUESDAY MORNING!
We will be having group this week though so be prepared to be there on
Thursday.
WEEK 10
3/20 – Emotion Regulation
Reading Assignment: Skills Manual, Chapter 9 (pp. 84 – 95), review handouts
(pp.135 – 164), review Linehan (1993), Chapter 5 (pp. 148 – 151)
WEEK 11
3/27 – Review Emotion Regulation module
WEEK 12
4/3 – Individual Evaluations, no class! Will have sign-up times for individual slots.
WEEK 13
4/10 – Distress Tolerance
Reading Assignment: Skills Manual, Chapter 10 (pp. 96 – 103), review
handouts (pp. 165 – 180)
WEEK 14
4/17 – Review Distress Tolerance module
Reading Assignment: review Linehan (1993), Chapter 5 (pp. 147 – 148)
WEEK 15
4/24 – Meet at Uncle Tom’s Pancake House!!!
WEEK 16
5/1 – NO CLASS THIS WEEK! ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF!!!
5
DBT Skills Group Roles
Group Leaders (2 people)
- Mindfulness exercise at the beginning of each session
- Mindfulness of the present moment throughout the session
- Makes handouts necessary for the week’s module
- Behavior analysis of homework review
- Timing of the session
- Moving from client to client
- Balancing tension between other group leaders and participants
- Keeping focus on both the group as a whole and each individual
- Offering alternative explanations to what the other leader teaches
- The group presenting material or reviewing homework is the primary leader
for that portion of the group. The other leader is in charge of being the
“good guy.” For more information, review the session GROUP LEADER on
page 17 of the manual.
Back-up (1 person)
- Be prepared to lead group for that week if one leader is unable to do so
- May be helpful to meet with those presenters prior to group to see the
presentation of the module material
Record Keeper (1 person)
- Takes attendance
- Documents any important themes, existence of mindfulness, lack of
mindfulness during session, and generally what is going on
- Fills out the Participation Log for each member
Contact Person (1 person)
- Contacts absentees 15 minutes after the session begins
- Continues to attempt to contact members that did not show up at the
meeting for the subsequent week
- Document any contact or messages left for absentee
Gopher (1 person)
- Ensured tables are set up properly
- Gets water for members
- Makes sure the sound screens are turned on
6
-
Makes sure external noise is limited (i.e., loud conversation in the other
room)
Gets members at the beginning of group
Passes out parking passes for the next meeting
Supervisors (Dr. House, Lauren, Abby, Jessica, Heather)
- Contacting therapists
- Conducting intake interviews
- Three week check-ins with clients
- Secondary gophers
If you need a special accommodation to fully participate in this class, please
contact Disability Concerns at 438 – 5853 (voice), 438 – 8620 (TDD).