Individual DBT therapist

The therapist is able to:

• Independently fulfill the role of individual therapist within a DBT program according to the basic rules of DBT.
• Work in according with the hierarchy of symptoms, acceptation and working change-oriented, and to vary among these.
• Can alternate reciprocity and irreversibility.
• Encourage the client to train DBT skills during the individual therapy.
• Coach the client regarding generalizing skills during telephone consultation.
• Transfer and apply the theoretical basis of DBT, among which the biosocial theory, learning theory and especially validation (ZEN).Bovenkant formulierOnderkant formulier

Entry requirements

• The aspiring DBT therapist possess at least a registration as mental health psychologists in the BIG register (or comparable registration).
• Possess at least two year of experience in the mental health care.
• Has demonstrable experience in individual treatment of clients with borderline problems
• Has demonstrable experience in working with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Procedure for acquiring acknowledgement

• Following the intensive training of Dialexis, which lasts 10 days.
• Individual supervision by a certified trainer/supervisor on the basis of a competence-oriented checklist. The duration of supervision depends on the speed of the aspiring therapist to meet all the requirements. The checklist is filled in by means of footage of at least five DBT sessions with individual clients.
• Requester records two videos of an individual DBT conversation (with consent of the client) and sends the footage to the secretariat of Dialexis, included with a verbatim report of the conversations.
• The secretariat sends the footage and verbatim report to the adherence coder.
• The adherence coder pays attention to following elements:
  • Level of validation
  • Way of executing the behaviour analyses and bringing forward solution strategies and finding the final solution. Adequate application of reinforcement naturally plays a role.
  • The application of DBT strategies and the extent to which they are applied (level of tension during the session).
  • The basic attitude.
  • Structuring the session (applying mindfulness, discussing the diary card, determining the agenda and closing the session)
  • Paying attention to the skills, perhaps in combination with a focus on generalisation of those skills (telephone consultation)
• The coder subsequently fills in the adherence questionnaire and makes a verbal report of the sessions indicating which interventions have been used.
• Consequently the coder decides what level the requester has reached.
• This decision is written down in an assessment.
• The assessment and the verbal report are sent to the requester, after which there is an opportunity to discuss the assessment. The requester decides if he/she pursues improvement, whether or not by supervision.
• All adherence coders are expected to take an aptitude test once every two or three years, identical to the certified therapists. The head trainer looks into the footage and assessment.