This program has been developed to assist school counsellors, psychologists, teachers, social workers and anyone working with children as an early intervention program to teach Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills (DBT) to children in a child appropriate way. The 10 lesson program can be adapted and used as a whole Term program at school or as individual lessons in a therapeutic setting. The program can be kept forever to refer back to. Lesson plans and resources including digital resources are all included plus video presentations by Megan Shiell and Evie Bowes.
Learning Outcomes:
- To provide children with psychoeducation around what happens inside of them when they become dysregulated, and how it affects learning.
- To introduce this program and inspire children to become their own detectives as they look inside.
- To begin to weave in skills found in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy that can help to cultivate mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and effective interpersonal communication.
- To introduce skills to aid with quick emotional regulation eg TIPP skill (Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, Paired Muscle Relaxation).
- To give children an experiential opportunity to experience the effect of those skills on themselves.
- To introduce the Dialectical concepts that “We are doing the best that we can with what we have” AND “We can also do better”.
- To introduce the idea that if we cannot solve the problem- just don’t make it worse!
- To provide children with psychoeducation around the core skill of mindfulness.
- To introduce children to the mindfulness skills of STOPP and Check the Facts.
- To find positive words of encouragement around mindfulness, emotional regulation and distress tolerance eg “I’ve done the best i can right now” “I can practice more skills next time” “Emotions come and go, I don’t need to step on the train” “I can take care of myself during stormy weather” “If I can’t find a solution, I just try not to make things worse”.
- To provide children with psychoeducation around the States of Mind: Wise Mind, Emotion Mind and Reason Mind.
- To introduce children to the distraction skill of Wise Mind ‘Accepts’ and Self Soothing with the Senses.
- To create a Distraction Skills ‘Treasure’ Box in the classroom that can continue to be created throughout the program.
- To provide children with psychoeducation around the need to increase positive emotion in their life via the Laugh skill and the Improve the Moment Skill in DBT.
- Unfold the concept that life is made of moments and we can shift how we feel in these moments.
- Embodiment activities to integrate things that make you feel good and generate positive emotion.
- To provide children with psychoeducation around the need to both notice and take care of their physical bodies.
- To outline the link between physical and mental wellbeing.
- To provide children a checklist of things to assess within themselves.
- To provide children options around what to do if they are feeling physically and/or emotionally vulnerable.
- To provide children with a framework around how to relate in healthy ways both with peers and adults using integrated DBT skills such as Being Friends, Make Repairs, DEAR and Cheerleading.
- To provide children a framework to repair relationships when they have been ruptured.
- To provide children a creative way to practice these skills.
- To normalize the feelings around relating with others.
- To help children build discernment around what they can and cannot control.
- To facilitate the skill of Radical Acceptance around things that they do not have control over.
- To help young people practice Mindfulness skills around Willfullness and Willingness using embodiment techniques.
- To recap emotional regulation skills with children when they are faced with situations beyond their control.
- To help children build on the Skills of Mindfulness, Mastery and Self- Soothing
- To recap skills and celebrate successes.
- Introduction to Chain Analyses
Presenter:
Megan Shiell is passionate about the way Dialectical Behaviour Therapy can assist sufferers of emotional dysregulation. Over the past 9 year she has trained over 2,000 clinicians in the use of DBT and also in the use of DBT alongside an experiential therapy Art Therapy. Megan has presented both in Australia, and Internationally on the subject of DBT and its uses in mental health arenas and has published her work in DBT and Art Therapy in the ANZATA Journal 2008. Megan has recently written a chapter in a book titled “DBT-Informed Art Therapy in Practice” edited by Susan M. Clark to be published later in 2020. Megan conducts some Face to Face intensive DBT training programs in Coolangatta, Qld and also for organisations in other regions of Australia. Since 2014 she has trained around 2,000 clinicians.
Disclaimer:
The content of this endorsed CPD course is provided by the external course provider. Attendees are encouraged to approach the material with an open mind and consider diverse perspectives, particularly those from lived experiences related to the topics discussed. For feedback regarding the course, please contact the course provider directly.