DBT-Informed Techniques for Treating Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a serious mental health problem that typically creates chaos in an individual’s life, often leading to risky and impulsive behaviors, damaged relationship and careers, substance use problems, hospitalization, and even suicide. Because of the complexity of this disorder – the different episodes, variability of symptoms from person to person as well as from episode to episode within the same individual – Bipolar Disorder can be difficult for clinicians to recognize. Improper diagnosis leads to improper treatment, which can cause worsening of symptoms for individuals. Once an accurate diagnosis has been made, however, it’s often equally as difficult to help our clients to accept and understand this diagnosis, which contributes to difficulties following prescribed treatment recommendations.

In this webinar you will learn about bipolar disorder, including the different diagnostic categories of BD, and its causes, as well as the disorders that often co-occur with bipolar disorder and the difficulties people experience in living with this and the co-morbid disorders. In gaining a greater understanding yourself as a clinician of bipolar disorder, you’ll be in a more effective position to help your clients to understand and accept their mental health problems, which will typically lead to improved outcomes for clients. You’ll also learn about the existing psy­cho-therapies being used to treat bipolar disorder.

Finally, based on her ground-breaking work using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to treat BD, Sheri Van Dijk will examine the efficacy of DBT in treating this illness, and delve into some of the DBT skills most pertinent to clients with this complex illness.

Cost: $270 – Want to attend this and any future event or course from our CE library for FREE and unlimited for the cost of $34.99/month for 12 months??!! Check out our Everything Plan here.

Objectives:

a). Learn and understand the DSM-5 diagnoses, rates, and etiology of Bipolar Disorder.

b). Understand the co-morbidities, suicidality and other difficulties of living with Bipolar Disorder.

c). Understand and describe Bipolar Disorder clinical information in order to provide effective psychoeducation to clients.

d). Develop skills to assist clients in accepting and understanding their Bipolar illness to enable more effective illness management.

e.) Learn current evidence-based treatments for Bipolar Disorder, and understand how DBT will be helpful in treating this population.

f). Understand the theoretical rationale for using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in treating Bipolar Disorder.

g). Learn the primary DBT skills used in treating Bipolar Disorder, including mindfulness and acceptance techniques, distress tolerance skills, and skills to manage emotions more effectively.

Target Audience:

The target audience for this event includes psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed counselors, MFT’s, and other clinical mental health professionals.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW

Material Author(s): Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW

Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW, is the author of seven DBT books, including The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder, Calming the Emotional Storm, and Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, the focus of which is to teach clients how to use mindfulness practice and DBT skills to help them live emotionally healthier lives. She has also written DBT Made Simple, the aim of which was to make DBT more accessible to therapists working with diagnoses other than BPD; and she has been presenting extensively in Canada and abroad with this goal as well. Sheri is the winner of the R.O. Jones award for her research on using DBT skills with bipolar disorder, presented at the Canadian Psychiatric Association Conference in September, 2010. Sheri is an experienced presenter who has been training professionals extensively in Canada and the USA over the last nine years. Her training is fast-paced, full of examples from her clinical practice, and demonstrates the use of self she describes as essential to working with clients in DBT. She draws from her clinical experience with the clients she works with in both her private practice and at a community hospital in Ontario, Canada, where she has been providing DBT-informed therapy for clients with mixed diagnosis in individual and group therapy.

For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.

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