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HILLSIDE LAUNCHES
GROUNDBREAKING THERAPY PROGRAM
Hillside
has long placed itself at the forefront of implementing the most
effective therapies and tools available for the youth in our
care. In 2005 Hillside received a generous grant from the Jesse
Parker Williams Foundation which gave
Hillside
the means to train our staff in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
For
many years, therapists had struggled to find an effective
treatment
for BPD. A potential answer began to emerge in 1993 when Marsha
Linehan, PhD and her research team at Behavioral Tech, LLC began
to develop a new approach called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
DBT is a unique, specialized form of cognitive behavioral
therapy that was originally developed to treat adults who were
chronically suicidal, self-injuring, and exhibiting symptoms of
borderline personality
disorders. It is now being effectively used in the treatment
of
adolescents with these behaviors. These teens tend to
experience:
n Problems
with anger
n Chaotic
relationships
n Frequent
mood swings
n Intense
fears of abandonment
n Impulsive
behavior
n Inadequate
sense of self
n Recurrent
suicidal or self-injurious behavior
n Family
problems or conflicts
n Poor
boundaries
What
is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
DBT
is based on the assumption that the negative and
self-destructive behaviors exhibited by those with borderline
personality disorder are learned patterns for dealing with
negative emotions. BPD individuals are highly sensitive to
emotional stimuli; respond very intensely to these stimuli; and
are slow to return to emotional stability.
DBT
treatment aims to:
n
Decrease
self-injurious behaviors;
n Decrease
behaviors like substance abuse and interpersonal conflicts
that interfere with quality of life;
n Decrease
behaviors such as disruptive activities that interfere with
therapy; and
n Increase
skills for coping with conflict and painful emotions.
In
November 2005,
Hillside
launched DBT-based therapeutic services with girls and boys in
both the residential and community programs, and their
families/caretakers. This February, the entire group of
clinicians that completed the August sessions spent another full
week working with two DBT certified trainers. This gave them an
excellent opportunity to review the DBT work done to date, to
refine their techniques and understanding, and to expand their
knowledge. Among the important lessons learned is that DBT is a
very flexible therapy which is already being effectively used
across campus for a wide range of diagnoses in addition to
borderline personality disorder.
Hillside
is the first and only known adolescent treatment facility in the
Southeast to have so fully trained in and implemented DBT. For
more information about DBT at
Hillside
, please contact
Lori Hogeman
at 404-875-4551 ext. 227.
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