Validation in DBT and Beyond: The Importance of Understanding the Emotional Life of Your Clients, Your Loved Ones, and Yourself
Presenters:
Amanda A. Uliaszek is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Clinical Science at the University of Toronto where she has been the director of the Personality, Psychopathology, and Psychotherapy Lab since 2011. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northwestern University and completed her predoctoral residency at the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Uliaszek’s research is concentrated on a multi-leveled approach to the study of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptomatology, as well as the efficacy and effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychological treatment for BPD. Dr. Uliaszek has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles examining BPD and DBT, has presented her work at dozens of international conferences, and conducted clinical workshops in multiple hospitals and treatment facilities. Dr. Uliaszek is a registered psychologist in Ontario, with an expertise in the delivery of DBT and cognitive-behavioral therapy for a range of personality disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, and eating disorders.
Mindfulness in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: An Introduction
Presenters:
Ms.Sonya Varma is a clinical psychology graduate student in the Treating and Understanding Life-threatening Behaviour and Posttraumatic Stress Lab at York University, under the supervision of Dr. Skye Fitzpatrick. Prior to beginning her graduate training, Ms. Varma worked as a Research Analyst under the supervision of Dr. Shelley McMain in the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Her primary role involved coordinating a multi-site randomized control trial evaluating a brief duration of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for individuals with BPD. Ms. Varma has presented at national and international conferences on emotion processing and the therapeutic relationship in BPD. Ms. Varma's research is guided by a deep interest in identifying ways to optimize BPD interventions, determining what interventions work best for who and why. She is currently working to enhance our understanding of the distinct ways in which Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), emotion dysregulation (i.e., disrupted experiences of emotion and difficulties modulating it), and interpersonal difficulties impact BPD pathology.
BPD, Relationships, and Trauma: The Impact of BPD on Relationships and Vice Versa
Presenters:
Dr. Skye Fitzpatrick is the Director of the TULiP (Treating & Understanding Life-Threatening Behaviour and Posttraumatic Stress) Research Lab at York University. Dr. Fitzpatrick completed her PhD in 2018 at Ryerson University, a predoctoral internship in Seattle at the University of Washington, and postdoctoral fellowship in the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University. Her current research interests focus on the examination of emotional and relationship processes in the treatment of BPD and PTSD, and identifying ways to streamline and refine concurrent treatments for this comorbidity.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for BPD: An Initial Overview
Presenters:
Amanda A. Uliaszek is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Clinical Science at the University of Toronto where she has been the director of the Personality, Psychopathology, and Psychotherapy Lab since 2011. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northwestern University and completed her predoctoral residency at the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Uliaszek’s research is concentrated on a multi-leveled approach to the study of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptomatology, as well as the efficacy and effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychological treatment for BPD. Dr. Uliaszek has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles examining BPD and DBT, has presented her work at dozens of international conferences, and conducted clinical workshops in multiple hospitals and treatment facilities. Dr. Uliaszek is a registered psychologist in Ontario, with an expertise in the delivery of DBT and cognitive-behavioral therapy for a range of personality disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, and eating disorders.
Borderline Personality Disorder: What is it and how do we treat it?
Presenters:
Dr. Skye Fitzpatrick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University and director of the Treating and Understanding Life-threatening behaviour and Posttraumatic Stress lab. Her research expertise is focused on identifying ways to improve, expand, and quicken treatments for borderline personality disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, with a specific focus on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). She completed her PhD at Ryerson University under the supervision of Dr. Janice Kuo. Dr. Fitzpatrick’s training at Ryerson supported her in achieving numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal Award, and the American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award. Following graduate school, Dr. Fitzpatrick completed her predoctoral internship in Seattle at the University of Washington where she received research and clinical training in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which often co-occurs with BPD. Dr. Fitzpatrick continued to pursue training in both BPD and PTSD treatment research during her postdoctoral fellowship in the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University under the mentorship of Dr. Denise Hien and Dr. Shireen Rizvi. She is currently focused on harnessing the power of relationships to optimize BPD and PTSD treatment, and identifying ways to expand access to DBT and related treatments.
Workshop Series: Morning Mindfulness: "Mind full or Mindful?"
Drs. Diana Singh and Jessica Rizk will discuss the topic of stressors and stress responses, including research that supports why it’s important to build healthier strategies.
Online Workshop Tool: The Planner | “From surviving to thriving”
Great West Life | Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace
(A resource developed in partnership with McMaster University)
Presenters:
Dr. Diana Singh is a postdoctoral research fellow at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. She is a mental health researcher who specializes in emotional labour and work stress. She is currently working on various projects that centre around emotional resiliency and psychological distress amongst service workers.
Dr. Jessica Rizk is a researcher at the Higher Education Quality Council of Canada, and an Ontario-Certified teacher. She specializes in the area of education, digital technology, and social inequality. Her research has examined the integration of educational technology in classrooms among Ontario students (K-12), and its impact on student engagement and student well-being. She also has research interest in the area of mental health and education and has recently joined the ABMF team.
Workshop 1: Recognizing your Personal and Automatic Response to Stressors (2020-05-09)
Individuals select from a list:
- Physical Responses
- Behaviour Responses
- Emotional Responses
The list is based on current personal and automatic Responses.
Workshop 2: Choosing Healthier Strategies (2020-05-16)
Individuals select as many healthy responses that speak to them personally, from a broad list.
For example, options include: Mindfulness and meditation; spirituality, ask for help and support, exercise, talk therapy, gratitude, cost/benefit analyses, etc.
Workshop 3: Recognizing and Exploring your Current Stressors (2020-05-23)
Individuals check any items that they are coping with right now or know they will in the very near future.
For example, individuals choose from triggers that fall under the category:
Social
Physical/Mental Health
Financial
Work
Emotional
Workshop 4: Balancing your Support Network (2020-05-30)
Resilience involves acknowledging our need to connect with each other. This section asks us to reflect on this.
Individuals will think about family, friends, associates, neighbours, or services they could reach out to for help.
Workshop 5: Examining Options and Making Good Decisions (2020-06-06)
Individuals will reflect on choices and their personal sense of power in this section. We all have choices when it comes to dealing with stress and adversity. These choices can usually be classified as one of the four A’s: Accept, Avoid, Alter, or Adapt.
The strategies in this section are adapted from https://wellness.uchicago.edu/page/changing-situation-oryour-reaction.
Workshop 6: Committing to Thriving (2020-06-13)
Individuals are asked to self-reflect and personally commit to themselves and others to the path to thriving and make a three-week plan to do so.