Welcome  to  the  DBT  Graduate  Group!

*PLEASE NOTE* This group is only avilaible for members who have graduated from our DBT program. If you are a graduate and would like to apply, hit the button below!
We created this page to answer a few questions for you about our current DBT Graduate Group and how it works. If ever you have a question, feel free to call our main number for more information. We hope you find this group helpful to building lives worth living and maintaining the skills!

What is a DBT Graduate Group
Unlike a DBT Skills Group, this group is loosely modeled after the DBT Consultation Team for therapists. We begin with mindfulness, check-in with each other, set an agenda for the meeting that best supports our needs, and finish with committing to working on something before the next group. We also fully expect to support each other both inside and outside of group time.

Our Goal
I don't need to tell you how difficult life can be or how easy it is to find yourself drifting away from skills use. Life is really hard! And doing it without support is nearly impossible. The primary function of this support group is to:
  1. Assist you towards your Life Worth Living goals,
  2. Keep you committed to the skills, and
  3. Establish a community of like-minded people to help ensure balance in your life and keep you on track long term.

Member Expectations
This Graduate group leans a bit more process-oriented, which means the group itself plays more of a role setting the agenda of what we will be discussing in group. This is different than a DBT skills group which leans more goal-oriented and classroom style.  It might take a couple sessions to get used to it, but there's much to benefit from this group style. 

To help with the transition, here are a few bullet points to keep in mind. These were a few suggestions offered by Marsha Linehan to her clinicians on a Consultation Team (which this is loosely built off of):
  • Listen to and validate members who wish to share or process their experiences.
  • Consult with members who want consultation.
    • Get agreement on the problem presented and get it defined behaviorally (is the member looking for problem solving, validation, cheerleading, praise, sympathy?)
  • Participate, remembering that every member has something to say, i.e., staying silent throughout an entire meeting is not participating.
  • Support and address team members who have an issue with the group itself.
  • Highlight “elephants-in-the-room” and topic avoidance when they arise.

Group Structure
(Check in/ Check Out)
This Graduate Group begins and ends with each member participating in the process. We start the group by passing around a check-in sheet that asks the following questions:
  1. Coming in to group I am feeling [insert an emotion word].
  2. I am within my skills breakdown point (if not, STOP!! Use your TIPP skills!) and one thing contributing to my emotional state is [share what is prompting your emotion word from question #1]. Review page 265 in your handouts to learn more about the skills breakdown point.
  3. One action step towards my life worth living or skill I've used since the last group was [share a skill].
  4. One thing I would like to talk about is [state a topic or issue you would like the group's help with].
This check-in gets the ball rolling, and then we set the agenda to try and get to everyone's issue.

At the end of group, we then check out by answering the following statements:
  1. Name one thing you got out of today's group.
  2. Were there any problems with today's group you would like to address before the next group?
  3. Name one thing you will work on to move towards your life worth living (and share about next group).
We then touch base very briefly if needed before ending group. 

Member Roles
To keep the group intact, we have found it helpful to carve out certain roles that we all participate in. It helps keep us actively involved and also provides a little more structure so we keep the group on track with the groups' goals. The roles currently are as follows:

Meeting leader
  1. Develops agenda with team members
  2. Determines order of agenda items
  3. Manages time

 Observer -  observes and rings the bell lightly when:
  1. A judgmental/non-compassionate comment is made
  2. Someone is treated as fragile 
  3. Defensiveness arises, forgetting that we are all fallible
  4. Non-mindfulness - members doing two things at one time
  5. A group guideline is violated
  6. A dialectic is unresolved

Note taker 
  1. Takes notes during the meeting of agenda items discussed
  2. Notes any topics unaddressed due to time for follow-up at next meeting
  3. Writes down any homework committed to for follow up

Skills Refresher 
  1. Presents one of the DBT skills to serve as a refresher of that skill. It can be presented by either teaching the skill, role playing, highlighting an effective moment in their lives, etc.

Mindfulness 
  1. Prepares a brief mindfulness exercise to begin group
  2. Ties the exercise into one's life
  3. Facilities any observations afterward and highlights any mindfulness skills that are used and mentioned

​Team Leader (this role does not rotate)
  • This role is provided by the DBT therapist in the room
  • Champions to keep the group committed
  • Provides encouragement when needed
  • Facilitates the group to keep each member within their roles
  • Intervenes when the group gets stuck with an issue
  • Offers expert consultation/teaching only when needed
  • Monitors overall commitment to the group and recruits other member when applicable

Getting Started
If it's your first time in group since graduating, welcome! Before you begin, here are a few housekeeping tasks and things to do beforehand.
  • Update your information in our system!! This can be done through your Patient Portal Account. If you can't remember your user name, please reach out and ask. Make especially sure your email, mailing address, and insurance information is up to date. 
  • Find your DBT skills book and bring it!
  • Mentally prepare yourself to begin this group with an open mind,  willingness to participate, and commitment to see it through.
  • Come to group on time (or a few minutes early) to settle in.

If  ever  you  have  any  questions,  feel  free  to  reach  out !