Workshops

Conducting Effective and Adherent Individual DBT Sessions

Presented by: Alexander L. Chapman, Ph.D., R.Psych., and John Wagner, Ph.D., R.Psych.

Dates: Thursday, September 17 – Friday, September 18, 2026
Time: 9 AM – 4:30 PM PST (11 AM – 6:30 PM CST / 12 PM – 7:30 PM EST)
Location: Zoom

Register today

 

About DBT

Dr. Marsha Linehan initially developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993; 2015) to help chronically suicidal clients. Over the past 30 years, DBT has evolved to become a well-established treatment for complex mental health concerns characterized by emotion dysregulation (e.g., borderline personality disorder). Over 30 randomized trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of DBT, with studies consistently showing greater reductions in suicidal behaviour, use of hospital services, and other mental health related challenges when compared with control conditions. DBT consists of four main components: weekly individual therapy, weekly group skills training, as-needed between-session telephone consultation, and a weekly DBT therapist consultation team meeting.

About the Workshop

This 2-day workshop will focus on navigating individual therapy sessions in a way that’s adherent to the DBT treatment protocol. Increasing research supports the efficacy of DBT, with evidence showing that adherence to the DBT manual is associated with better outcomes (Harned et al., 2022). Although resources exist to help clinicians practice adherent DBT, a live, interactive training experience brings adherent DBT to life and provides examples, demonstrations, and practice opportunities. Therefore, the primary aim of this workshop is to illuminate how to navigate DBT individual therapy sessions in an adherent and effective manner.

We will address the nuts and bolts of adherent DBT individual therapy sessions. We will review how to organize sessions and set priorities when clients have multiple, complex presenting problems, and how to review and use the DBT diary card effectively. The workshop will also dive into the core DBT assessment strategy of chain analysis and show how to use this approach as a springboard for problem solving within sessions. Clinicians also will learn how to move from problem solving to commitment to change, with a review of core DBT commitment strategies. We will also discuss and demonstrate how to balance validation and problem solving as well as irreverent and reciprocal stylistic strategies in DBT. In the context of individual therapy sessions, challenges (e.g., emotion dysregulation, therapy interfering behaviour) sometimes arise. We will discuss and demonstrate how to address some of these challenges as well. Finally, we will review how to effectively wrap up individual therapy sessions and provide guidance on the process of termination in DBT.

This workshop is best suited for clinicians with beginning to intermediate familiarity with DBT.

Proposed Schedule*

*These proposed daily topics may change.

Day 1

• Mindfulness, introductions, orientation
• Brief review: DBT Theory and practice
• Structuring individual DBT sessions
• Using diary cards & targeting behaviour in DBT
• Conducting effective chain analyses

Day 2

• Mindfulness, check-in
• Problem solving & commitment strategies
• Validation
• Balancing stylistic strategies in DBT
• Wrapping up sessions and preparing for termination

It is anticipated that, by the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of how to organize and conduct effective individual DBT sessions.

Teaching methods will include didactic presentations, demonstrations, video/audio clips, experiential exercises, and practice by participants. This will be an active and engaging workshop.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is designed for therapists who have had some exposure to DBT and DBT skills. Even clinicians who have read the core DBT manuals and attended initial trainings often wonder about the nuts and bolts of conducting effective individual therapy sessions.

Therapists who wish to improve the structure, focus, and effectiveness of their individual sessions and move toward adherent DBT will find this workshop very helpful.

Those who have already attended a workshop (such as the DBT Centre of Vancouver’s multi-day DBT skills workshop), or gained practice in teaching DBT skills, will benefit from a deeper dive into the process of DBT individual therapy and will see how the skills they have learned can complement their individual work.

Recommended Reading

Participants are encouraged to purchase and review the following texts:

 

Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford.

 

 

 

 

 

Format & Schedule

This workshop will take place via Zoom. Participants are expected to log on through a secure wi-fi connection with access to a microphone and camera and work in a private office or room.

Recordings of the workshop will not be available.

Tentative schedule for all two day (times in PST)

9am – 10:30 First session
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – Noon Second session
Noon – 1pm Lunch
1pm – 2:30 Third session
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 4:00 Fourth session
4:00 – 4:15pm Wrap up

Participants that are joining from outside British Columbia, please note the time difference.

About the Presenters

Alexander L. Chapman, Ph.D., R. Psych., is the President of the DBT Centre, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University (SFU), as well as a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship working with Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of DBT, and was among the first cohort of certified DBT clinicians by the Linehan Board of Certification. In addition, Dr. Chapman has published 5 books focused on DBT, along with several others related to evidence-based practice or coping skills for consumers. He regularly consults with mental health providers working with complex psychological problems and has provided workshops across Canada and the US. Full bio.

 

 

John Wagner, Ph.D., R. Psych., the Director of the DBT Centre of Vancouver, an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, as well as a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship working with Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of DBT, and was among the first cohort of certified DBT clinicians by the Linehan Board of Certification.  He regularly consults with mental health providers working with complex psychological problems and has provided workshops across Canada. Full bio. 

 

Both are enthusiastic presenters and greatly enjoy working with clinicians to enhance their skills with evidence based treatments.

Continuing Education Credits

The DBT Centre of Vancouver is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. The DBT Centre of Vancouver maintains responsibility for the program as a provider of continuing education (CE) activities. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a letter of attendance confirming the number of credits awarded (1 credit/hour). This workshop is eligible for 12 CE credits. Unfortunately we are not able to award CME credits for physicians.

The CPA’s approval of an individual, group, or organization as a CE Sponsor or Provider is restricted to the activities described in the approved application or annual report form. The CPA’s approval does not extend to any other CE activity the Sponsor or Provider might offer. In granting its approval, the CPA assumes no legal or financial obligations to Sponsors, Providers, or to those individuals who might participate in a Sponsor or Provider’s CE activities or programs. Further, responsibility for the content, provision, and delivery of any CE activity approved by the CPA remains that of the CE Sponsor or Provider. The CPA disclaims all legal liability associated with the content, provision, and delivery of the approved CE activity.