Perhaps no therapist of the last several decades has so influenced current practice as Marsha Linehan. Though she does a great deal of teaching and training, opportunities to see her practicing with a client in a full-length session are few and far between. Therapists, DBT practitioners, and newcomers alike will relish this rare opportunity.
In this initial session, Linehan works with a fascinating and difficult client, brilliantly portrayed by Dutch actor Henk Grashuis. He makes it clear that he is actively suicidal, has little faith in therapy, and is not necessarily committed to treatment. He bobs and weaves as Linehan works with him, concealing some of the most damaging aspects of his own past behaviors and painting himself as an angry and wounded victim. With her upfront and frank style, Linehan defines the client’s goals, makes clear to him which behaviors must change immediately, and gets him to agree to postpone suicidality in favor of further investigating her treatment. Throughout the session, Linehan gives voiced-over explanations of why she made certain choices and what compelled her towards different interventions. Prepare to be fascinated, both by the client and by Linehan!
Note: This video is part of a series, Three Approaches to Personality Disorder. The other two titles feature psychoanalyst Otto Kernberg and CBT expert Art Freeman conducting sessions with the same client.
By watching this video, you will learn:
- How to conduct an initial behavioral assessment using DBT
- How to implement elements of DBT style and strategy with your own clients
- How a DBT therapist assesses for suicidality and obtains commitment to therapy
Length of video: 1:48:00
English subtitles available
Individual ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-346-4
Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-347-2
Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-347-8
Marsha Linehan, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and is Director of the
Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, a consortium of research projects developing new treatments and evaluating their efficacy for severely disordered and multi-diagnostic and suicidal populations. Her primary research is in the application of behavioral models to suicidal behaviors, drug abuse, and borderline personality disorder. She is also working to develop effective models for transferring science-based treatments to the clinical community.
She is the developer of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a treatment originally developed for the treatment of suicidal behaviors and since expanded to treatment of borderline personality disorder and other severe and complex mental disorders, particularly those that involve serious emotion dysregulation.
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Marsha Linehan videos.
CE credits: 1.75
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how to conduct an initial DBT assessment
- Apply elements of DBT with your own clients
- Recite how DBT therapists assesses for suicidality
Bibliography available upon request
This course is offered for ASWB ACE credit for social workers. See complete list of CE approvals here
© 2013
Course Reviewed January 2023