THE MANAGING EMOTIONS (ME) PROGRAM' The development of an 8 Week Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Informed Skills Training Program including Creativity/art making exercises for the treatment of people who have difficulty managing their emotions.

The Research is based on the attendance of Skills Training Groups only, no individual therapy. Each Weekly session is 2.5 hours in duration. At each session Diary cards are discussed, a mindfulness exercise is experienced by all attendees and then skills are taught, handouts are supplied and group discussion follows. In the 8 Week DBT Skills Training only program the final half hour of each weekly group will involve verbal discussion on when and where these skills will help individuals in the groups In the 8 Week DBT skills training plus art making the final half hour is dedicated to making an art exercise that specifically relates to the skills taught and a small discussion is conducted in sharing images at the end of group. 8 to 10 participants will attend an 8 week Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills training course. WEEK ONE -Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-What is ‘Wise Mind’ TWO -Concentration on the skill of Distress Tolerance ‘Wise Mind Accepts” THREE -Distress Tolerance skills of ‘Improving the Moment’ FOUR - Mindfulness Observing, describing and participating in a non-judgmental, one-mindfully and effective manner -Mindfulness exercises – circuit . Identifying what we need to do to practice the options we have to improve and enjoy the moment mindfully using our 5 senses. FIVE - Reality Acceptance- Willingness and Willfulness SIX -Understanding our emotions and Chain analysis Identifying and describing the difference between primary and secondary emotions and their functions SEVEN - Goals of Interpersonal Effectiveness and How to communicate effectively. EIGHT - Review of all diary cards and the skills you feel could assist you 8 to 10 participants will attend an 8 week Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills training course plus tailored art exercises. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Informed Skills Training and Art Exercises 8 week program WEEK ONE - Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-What is ‘Wise Mind’. ART EXERCISE - How Skills could help build frame around us. What would Wise Mind look like? Coloured pencils TWO - Concentration on the skill of Distress Tolerance ‘Wise Mind Accepts” ART EXERCISE - To identify what kind of distress tolerance strategies may help – create 7 tools before action – Texters and collage THREE - Distress Tolerance skills of ‘Improving the Moment’ ART EXERCISE - Creating an object or image of the ‘cheerleader’ within to keep one safe whilst practicing the skills- clay FOUR - Mindfulness - Observing, describing and participating in a non-judgmental, one-mindfully and effective manner. Mindfulness exercises – circuit . Identifying what we need to do to practice the options we have to improve and enjoy the moment mindfully - using our 5 senses ART EXERCISE - What did it feel like to be mindful? ' watercolours' FIVE - Reality Acceptance- Willingness and Willfulness ART EXERCISE - Creating a representation of “Willingness” – what can you accept right now?- texters, oil pastels, collage. SIX - Understanding our emotions and Chain analysis Identifying and describing the difference between primary and secondary emotions and their functions ART EXERCISE - After experiencing a primary emotion, how many secondary emotions d you experience represented by Acrylic paints on canvass SEVEN - Goals of Interpersonal Effectiveness and How to communicate effectively. ART EXERCISE - When I communicate well ‘How do I look” - construction found materials EIGHT - Review of all diary cards and the skills you feel could assist you Review of all artwork. Creating an image that represents a tool box full of the skills you find most useful A key component of DBT is teaching a client to stay a little longer than before with feeling emotional pain, validating and accepting their experience whilst moving towards changes in behaviours. The skill of managing difficult emotions is paramount to being able to gain or maintain balance in a life that has meaning and fulfilment, free from self-harm, anxiety, depression and a sense of emptiness. Adding the experience of creating images can help patients learn skills in two very different ways, verbally and experientially. Patients leave group with a concrete, original item or object to remind themselves of the skills they have learned.. Facilitators of Groups - All facilitators will receive a 74 page Manual prepared by the Prinicpal Researcher. The facilitators will attend the training free of charge and will receive a 'Certificate of Attendance' that provides 14 professional development hours with the following organizations who have endorsed the training for professional development points. Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association ANZATA Australian Association of Social Workers AASW Australian Counselling Association ACA Australian Council of Mental Health Nurses ACMHN The training is also listed on Australian Psychological Society webpage APS (APS does not endorse any training by private organizations) Group Facilitators may already have sufficient training in DBT or may have attended the Principal Researcher's 2 Day Intensive DBT Training. The Principal Researcher will be responsible for checking this requirement and approving all facilitators are qualified and experienced group facilitators. Group facilitators will be currently practicing Health Care Professionals, Art Therapists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Counsellors etc. having experience in facilitating Mental Health Groups and being current members of a Professional Association relevant to their professional qualifications. DBT training will be offered to all facilitators. Facilitators must have over 12 months experience in conducting group work. Two people are required to be present for DBT Groups and it is estimated that the maximum number of DBT Trained Facilitators required would be 16 and the total number of co-facilitators (not necessarily trained in DBT would also be 16). The facilitators can be male or female. An Outline of the Training is below: 2 DAY INTENSIVE DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOUR THERAPY TRAINING Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was developed by Prof. Marsha Linehan, Ph.D.,at the University of Washington in the late 1970’s. She added acceptance, dialectics and validation strategies to cognitive-behavioural treatment for patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who often presented with chronic patterns of suicidal or other severe dysfunctional behaviours and named the therapy Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). In her 2nd Edition ‘DBT Skills Training Manual 2015’ she has explained how useful DBT is for many other client groups and has given examples of how DBT can be modified to assist these patients. She has also added a variety of new skills to the original modules for skills training. It is not unusual for individuals diagnosed with BPD to also struggle with other problems -- depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, eating disorders, or alcohol and drug problems. It’s important to note that DBT is an “empirically-supported treatment.” for BPD sufferers. DBT skills are extremely useful for people in assisting in the management of impulsive behaviours, mood changes, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, depression and urges to use substances, food, gambling etc. to avoid or get rid of uncomfortable or intense emotions. DBT gives patients concrete skills and strategies to manage disruptive emotional experiences. This 2 day Intensive “Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Training” is designed to assist practitioners gain knowledge of how to work with DBT as individual therapists and also as skills group facilitators. Training can be tailored to specific region’s needs and information on how to set up a DBT program including Therapists Consult groups is also detailed. DAY 1 Biosocial Therapy of Borderline Personality Disorder, DSM1V/V, Description of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Statistics 5 Functions of Treatment, Standards and Modes of Treatment, Researched Model of DBT description Dialectics and Validation Strategies of Encouragement, Genuineness, DBT Styles of communication Pre-Treatment Stage, Orienting and Commitment Strategies, Goals, Patients and Therapists Agreements Stages and Targets of Treatment Individual DBT Therapy, Crisis Intervention, Suicide Risk Assessment, Phone Coaching, Treating Wilfullness, Diary Cards, Chain Analysis Implementing DBT in a System, DBT Consultation Team Agreements DAY 2 Changes in 2nd Edition DBT Skills Training 2015 DBT For Adolescents and suggested Skills Training for non BPD patients in a variety of settings Skills Training Group, Group Rules, Four skills of DBT Mindfulness, States of Mind – Art Exercise Distress Tolerance Emotional Regulation Interpersonal Effectiveness Assumptions of DBT, Resources Training Objectives: Participants will: - 1. gain knowledge of the philosophy of DBT, the structure of the therapy and statistical information on the researched model. Discussion of latest research for the use of DBT in a variety of settings. 2. gain knowledge of how to teach ‘crisis survival’ techniques and address suicide ideation, self-harm and impulsive destructive behaviours of patients 3. gain knowledge in how to work dialectically using validation and acceptance strategies with patients. 4. gain knowledge in how to look after oneself as a clinician and gain supportive supervision within the DBT frame to help assist in working with patients who present with high levels of emotional dysfunction. 5. gain knowledge of all four skills of DBT, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal Effectives, including the additions of new skills added in 2nd Edition DBT Training 2015 (Prof Marsha Linehan) 6. gain knowledge in how to teach a skills training group 7. gain knowledge in working with many client groups that experience emotional dysregulation and working with DBT with adolescents Expressive Therapy Clinic's Trainings are endorsed by AASW, ACMHN, ACA, ANZATA an listed on APS Website for Professional Development..