| Description |
This seminar provides an experiential introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training and its application to parenting. The course is based on an evidence-based DBT Skills for Parents intervention developed and evaluated by the instructor. The seminar follows the experiential model used in standard DBT Skills Training. Through experiential skills exercises, homework, group discussion, and academic readings, students will learn the core DBT skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, as well as how to apply these skills to common parenting challenges (e.g., responding effectively to children's emotions, strengthening positive parent-child relationships, managing conflict, and setting effective limits). Students are expected to actively engage in the learning process. This includes completing assigned homework, participating in in-class discussions and skills exercises, and reflecting on how the skills apply to everyday life. Students will be invited to draw upon examples from their own experiences to facilitate learning and illustrate clinical concepts. However, sharing personal information is always voluntary. Students are encouraged to maintain appropriate personal boundaries and disclose only what they are comfortable discussing in a classroom setting. Modeling these boundaries is itself an important aspect of ethical clinical practice and an essential component of effective DBT Skills Training. Each class meeting combines discussion of assigned academic readings, experiential skills training, clinical application to parenting, and opportunities to practice teaching selected DBT and parenting skills to peers. By the end of the seminar, students will have developed both a practical understanding of DBT skills and experience applying and teaching these skills in parenting and family contexts. |