Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Emotion Regulation Skills for Supporting System-Involved Youth

Ashley Maliken, PhD

Training Description

This training is designed to help those who support system involved youth (SIY) adapt and teach the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) emotion regulation skills which can be used in situations most relevant to the youth. We will begin by reviewing the model of emotions and how to help participants articulate to SIY the various components involved every time an emotion is experienced. Participants will learn the ABC PLEASE skills to help build resilience and decrease vulnerability; the Check the Facts skill, to help decrease judgmental, presumptive thinking; and Opposite Action and Problem-Solving skills to change emotions. Role play demonstrations will be used to model how to teach youth these skills and apply them to specific situations they may encounter as generated by attendees. We will also discuss supporting SIY in figuring out when to experience and express versus change an emotion in alignment with their values.

Learning Objectives

· Participants will be able to identify the 5 skills in the PLEASE acronym.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 3 prompting events for sadness, fear, guilt and shame.

· Participants will be able to identify and explain at least 4 parts of the model of emotions.

Agenda

9:00 – 9:30am  Background on the goals of emotion regulation as described in DBT

· What do emotions do for us

· What do emotions communicate to ourselves/others

9:30 – 10:00am  Review the model of emotions

· Common vulnerability factors

· Prompting events

· Internal/external reactions to emotions

10:00 – 10:30am  ABC PLEASE skills

· Reducing vulnerability to emotion mind

· Increasing resilience over time

10:30 – 11:00am

· Check the facts

· Examining how thoughts/judgments/assumptions contribute to the experience of an emotion

11:00 – 11:15am  BREAK (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

11:15am – 12pm  Opposite action

12:00 – 12:45pm  Problem solving and putting it all together

12:45 – 1:00pm  Questions & Answers; Wrap up

Meet Our Trainer

Ashley Maliken is a licensed clinical psychologist with an expertise in providing evidence-based treatments to adolescents, young adults and their families. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and is DBT-LBC certified. Dr. Maliken earned her doctorate from the University of Washington, where she also completed an adolescent health fellowship in leadership and education through an interdisciplinary program sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Her postdoctoral research centered on helping SIY utilize DBT skills to navigate interpersonal challenges as related to sexual health. Before becoming Acting Director of Training and Quality Assurance at the Portland DBT Institute in Portland, Oregon, Dr. Maliken was an Associate Professor at UCSF and Associate Director of Training for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. 

This course meets the qualifications for (3.75) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.