RO DBT Skills Class
IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE TOO MUCH SELF CONTROL.
This is a counterintuitive idea behind Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO DBT). RO DBT is an empirically based therapy that effectively treats over control clients. Self-control refers to our ability to restrain acting on our urges, emotions, and wants in favor of longer term goals. Most of the time, self-control is good, but some people can suffer from excessive self-control. For these people, inhibiting and controlling impulses and emotions has become so habitual and automatic that they have problems relaxing control when needed. This can result in over controlled people being overly inhibited, perfectionistic, cautious, and feeling exhausted by social interactions.
WHAT DOES OVER CONTROL LOOK LIKE?
Over controlled people:
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Have a hard time relaxing their habitual emotional inhibition.
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Often feel lonely and lack a sense of belonging or closeness.
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Tend to mask their expression of emotions or only share socially-acceptable emotions.
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Often find feedback difficult and are rigid and rule-governed.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DBT AND RO DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was created back in the early 90s specifically to help people who were chronically suicidal and emotionally dysregulated, often people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. RO DBT is a new treatment that branched off from DBT in the early 2000s and is focused on the problems of people who are emotionally over controlled, basically the polar opposite of who DBT is intended to help. You can read a detailed breakdown of the difference here.
RO DBT SKILLS CLASSES AT BALANCE
RO DBT Skills are typically delivered in 30 (or more) concurrent sessions in which participants learn concrete skills to adapt into their own lives and immediately put to use. In RO DBT Skills Class at BALANCE eating disorder treatment center, participants will learn how to activate their social safety system, practice participating without planning, learn how to socially-signal authenticity in the a shared environment of a learning community/”tribe”.
Maggie M. Ritnour, LMHC, LCAT, ATR-BC will be co-facilitating these Skills Classes with Jennifer Nelson, MS, MHC, MHC-LP.
Maggie has completed the 10-day RO DBT intensive training and is thrilled to be bringing this information to clients in the NYC area. She recognizes the effectiveness of RO DBT for persons struggling with eating disorders, as these folks often suffer in silence, holding their pain with such controlled ability that few, if any, know how bad they are hurting.
Jennifer has experience working with adults with obsessive compulsive disorders, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders. Jennifer has presented at local and international conference on treating OCD with Exposure Response Prevention Therapy. Jennifer approaches her work and clients with authenticity, compassion, and empathy. She approaches psychological understanding from a biopsychosocial perspective and believes that behavioral interventions are the foundation of change.
Skills classes are held on Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm.