Walking the Middle Path
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
What is mindfulness?
Being in control of your mind, rather than letting your mind control you.
What are the 4 stress responses?
Fight, flight, freeze and fawn.
- Emotions = weakness
- Emotions = out of control
- There's a right way to feel in every situation
- Emotions are stupid/useless
- Gender roles
What does interpersonal effectiveness mean?
Effective people/relational skills.
What is the primary goal of DBT?
Managing intense emotions.
What are the three states of mind?
Emotional mind, wise mind and reasonable mind.
What is the window of tolerance?
The optimal zone of emotional arousal where a person can function effectively and cope with stressors.
What is the difference between primary and secondary emotions?
Primary = biological, automatic, universal, often unseen (i.e. sadness)
Secondary = reactions to our primary emotions, learned from culture/family, observable (i.e. shame)
List one reason why people may struggle with communication.
1. Lack of skill
2. Fear/people pleasing
3. Emotional dysregulation
4. Indecision
5. Environment
Complete the sentence. There is no ________ truth.
Absolute
- Participation games (first letter last letter, alphabet game, telephone, etc.)
- Visualizations
- Breath work
- Body scans
- Sensory modulation
What is radical acceptance?
Completely accepting reality as is without fight or judgement.
How do values contribute to emotional regulation? Provide an example from your own life.
Living in accordance to our values helps us feel aligned with our core beliefs. Helps us create a life worth living that is meaningful to us.
Examples:
- Fun. Making time for extracurricular outside of work.
- Family. Prioritizing family time/relationships.
- Environment. Taking daily action to reduce waste.
What are the 3 priorities in IPE?
1. Objective effectiveness: getting what you want from interaction
2. Relationship effectiveness: maintaining healthy relationships
3. Self respect effectiveness: maintaining self respect
Provide an example of dialectical thinking.
Finding the middle path between two opposing ideas.
- Acceptance & Change: I'm doing my best AND I need to keep trying.
- Independence & Support: I can be strong AND ask for help.
- Happiness & Fear: Change can be exciting AND scary at the same time.
What are the 3 WHAT skills in mindfulness?
Observe, describe and participate.
What does TIPP stand for?
T = temperature
I = Intense exercise
P = paced breathing
P = progressive muscle relaxation
Describe an emotional regulation skill from start to finish.
- Wave skill/surf the urge
- ABC PLEASE
- Check the Facts
- Opposite Action
What does DEAR MAN stand for?
D = describe
E = express
A = assert
R = reinforce
M = mindfulness
A = appear confident
N = negotiate
What is the biosocial theory in DBT?
Emotional intensity is caused by a combination of biological and environmental factors.
- Biological: Genetic susceptibility to emotions.
- Environmental: Invalidating environment in childhood.
What are the three HOW skills in mindfulness?
Non judgementally, one mindfully and effectively.
Distress tolerance is for acute emotional management (short-term) where emotional regulation is for chronic mood stabilization (long-term).
Where does the word "emotion" come from?
Describe the 3 boundary styles.
Porous = letting anyone in
Healthy = middle path
Rigid = keeping everyone at a distance