[CEU] Building Commitment for Challenging Treatments: Adaptable Elements of DBT Pretreatment for Trauma Focused Interventions

Presenter:  Jordan Kugler, Ph.D.
Cost: Free
CEUs: 1.0 CEU approved by UPA and NASW-UT

About the presentation:

Building commitment with clients who have complicated presenting problems to engage in evidence-based treatments can be very challenging. In particular, many trauma-focused interventions ask our clients to have a willingness to approach trauma reminders and experience (intense) emotional discomfort both within the session and in-between sessions as part of the therapeutic process.

However, as the predominant feature of post-trauma reactions is avoidance of trauma reminders, this forms a natural tension with the key treatment mechanisms of trauma-focused protocols. This tension can be experienced as aversive without adequate preparation and commitment, which may lead to premature treatment dropout or an assumption that therapy does not work for them.

In this presentation we will first review the key elements and function of the pre-treatment phase in DBT. Dr. Kugler will then discuss adaptations of these elements for trauma focused interventions with the goal of enhancing motivation to engage in treatment without significantly lengthening time in treatment.

About the presenter:

Jordan M. Kugler, Ph.D. clinical and counseling psychology. Dr. Kugler was previously a doctoral student at Utah State University. He completed intensive DBT training through the Linehan institute and was trained in several evidence-based trauma interventions at the Salt Lake City VA.