Behavior therapy is a foundational principle of DBT. It is central to both change and (many) acceptance strategies. This talk will provide a brief overview of the process of behavior change in DBT. We will also discuss contingency management strategies, stimulus control strategies, exposure and response prevention, and skills training/generalization as the apply across the modes of DBT.

Learning Objectives  
By the conclusion of this event, participants will be able to:

1. Define a “behavior”
2. Describe the process of behavior change in the context of DBT
3. Apply one behavioral strategy to client

Instructor | Dr. Aditi Vijay is an Assistant Professor at Kean University where she directs the Interpersonal Context of Emotion Dysregulation lab (or the ICED lab!). The ICED lab focuses on the transactional relationship between the interpersonal/social context and emotion regulation. Her research and clinical interests focus on 1) emotion regulation processes as they relate to chronic suicidality and self-harm, trauma, and rejection sensitivity, 2) process and outcomes of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and 3) equity in clinical care. Current projects include 1) loneliness and emotion regulation in emerging adults, 2) relationship between emotion regulation and trauma, and 3) the role of DBT consultation team processes as predictors of DBT therapist burnout and adherence.

Dr. Vijay has provided extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and consultation to DBT teams throughout the U.S. She has served on the board of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder and is current president of the board for the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of DBT. She founded a small private practice specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and trauma treatment in New York City.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in history and psychology from the University of Michigan, her master’s degree in the Teaching of Social Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University, her master’s degree in Risk and Prevention from Harvard University, and doctorate in psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Register Now for Free Learn & Earn

At its core, DBT is a behavioral treatment that relies heavily on careful, precise behavioral assessment. The primary method for behavioral assessment in DBT is the “chain analysis” – a moment-by-moment assessment of the events leading up to and following a target behavior (e.g., self-injury). For myriad reasons, many clinicians have trouble conducting chain analyses. This webinar will be designed to help clinicians brush up on key chain analysis procedures and learn tips to refine and improve their approach. This one hour webinar is designed for clinicians with some direct clinical experience conducting DBT; basic DBT principles will not be reviewed.  

Learning Objectives  
By the conclusion of this event, participants will be able to:

1. How to identify obstacles that interfere with problem definition and procedures in chain analyses. 
2. How to conceptualize and define antecedents and consequences associated with ineffective behaviors (e.g., self-injury) from a behavioral standpoint.
3. How to generate and implement solution analyses to remediate ineffective behaviors.

Instructor | Shireen Rizvi, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and researcher with over 20 years of professional experience. She currently serves as Director of Psychology Training and Director of DBT Services and Research at Montefiore Einstein in New York City. From 2009-2024, Shireen was Professor of Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters as well as two books on Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She also has a forthcoming book on DBT skills for everyday life. Learn more about her work at shireenrizvi.com.

Register Now for Free Learn & Earn

Dialectics represents the worldview of DBT. Teaching clients how to think and act dialectically can feel challenging, confusing, or overwhelming to therapists, particularly in the context of exquisite emotional sensitivity, heightened emotional reactivity, and a history of invalidation, as is typically the case with clients in DBT. In this one hour webinar, we will walk through the “Understanding dialectics in DBT” handout we developed to offer new tools in the instruction and application of dialectics. Using this handout, we will discuss and roleplay ways for therapists to teach dialectics through metaphors, which can make abstract dialectical concepts more concrete and relatable, enhancing client engagement and comprehension. In addition to ways to teach dialectics through metaphors, we will also present and discuss ways to teach dialectics through personal examples. By identifying and sharing real-life situations where two seemingly contradictory truths coexist (e.g., “I can be independent and still need support”), therapists can model flexibility and balance, guiding clients toward more nuanced perspectives and reducing black-and-white thinking. 

Learning Objectives  
By the conclusion of this event, participants will be able to:

1. Describe an overview of what is meant by dialectics in DBT using the “Understanding dialectics in DBT” handout

2. Describe the principles of dialectics using the “Plaid Venn diagram metaphor” to explain what is meant by “synthesis” in dialectics and to distinguish “synthesis” from “compromise”

3. Describe the principles of dialectics using the “Cylinder metaphor” to illustrate how seemingly contradictory perspectives can coexist

4. Describe at least one personal and client-relevant example to demonstrate dialectical thinking in action

Instructor | Andrea Gold, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown University Alpert Warren School of Medicine and the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC) at Bradley Hospital. She is the Team Lead of the DBT-X Track in PARC’s Intensive Program for OCD & Related Disorders. Andrea is passionate about dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP), while living the ‘exposure lifestyle’ and ‘DBT lifestyle’ as all-in life philosophies. At PARC, she is developing an adaptation of DBT targeting exposure (DBT-X) for the subpopulation of adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders co-occurring with emotion dysregulation, suicidal and self-injurious behaviors, and BPD. She is also on the Board of Directors for the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) and the DBT Bulletin.

Instructor | Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and Instructor in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) Day Program. He specializes in evidence-based treatments for complex, multi-diagnostic disorders, with expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for grief and trauma-related conditions. 

Beyond clinical work, Dr. Finkelstein is a co-founder of Therahive, an e-learning platform for evidence-based psychoeducation, and co-editor of the DBT Bulletin. He is also the creator of The Game of Real Life, a DBT skills-based card game published by Penguin RandomHouse. His research focuses on digital applications of DBT skills training and the intersection of therapy, technology, and creative design. 

Follow-up Training! Dr. Gold will be providing a 3 hours follow up training on December 12, 2025. 

Follow-up Training

Register Now for Free Learn & Earn