Top DBT professor addresses midlands HSE therapists

An internationally recognised Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) researcher, teacher, supervisor, and treatment developer was the keynote speaker at a seminar for DBT therapists working locally and held in the Mullingar Park Hotel last month.

The DBT Service was set up by HSE Midlands Mental Health Services in 2012. DBT teaches individual skills to deal with intense emotions by employing skills that focus on positive coping strategies and is a treatment programme aimed at helping people with ongoing difficulties.

DBT combines skills acquisition with one-to-one therapeutic interventions. The core modules include Emotional Regulation, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Effectiveness and finally Mindfulness.

Difficulties in regulating intense emotions can lead to a range of mental health issues, and DBT has the potential to offer significant benefits to the individuals engaged in the therapy, their extended family members and/ or members of their social support structure.

DBT has a positive impact on health services by reducing the need for crisis interventions and inpatient hospitalisation.

The DBT Service emphasises the commitment of Midlands Mental Services to the provision of talk therapies as appropriate. HSE Midlands Mental Health Service currently have three teams, in Mullingar , Longford and Athlone. Since 2012, staff have been trained, and the three teams have developed family connections and are an additional support for service users and their families.

On Friday January 19, a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Day was held for all DBT therapists working within the HSE Longford Westmeath Mental Health Services and the HSE Laois Offaly Mental Health Services, in the Mullingar Park Hotel.

The day was organised by Alison Keogh, assistant director of Nursing for HSE Longford Westmeath Mental Health Services, and HSE DBT co-ordinator for the Midlands Mental Health Services.

HSE Midlands Mental Health Services were delighted that Professor Alan Fruzzetti was the keynote speaker. Prof Fruzzetti is internationally recognised DBT researcher, teacher, supervisor, and treatment developer. Professor Fruzzetti is a Research Fellow at the National Suicide Research Foundation/ University College Cork, lead for Supervision and Implementation, and he works as part of the HSE National DBT Team in Ireland.

Elaine O’Brien, senior clinical psychologist HSE National DBT Training Team, co-facilitated the day.

(Information provided by the HSE.)