Introduction to Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) for Disorders of Over-Control

Description

The aim of this workshop is to introduce clinicians to the theoretical foundations and skills underlying Radically Open-Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO DBT) for disorders of over-control (Lynch, 2018). Self-control, the ability to inhibit competing urges, impulses, or behaviours is highly valued by most societies. However, excessive self-control has been linked to social isolation, aloof interpersonal functioning, maladaptive perfectionism, constricted emotional expressions, and difficult-to-treat mental health problems, such as anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and refractory depression.
While resting on many of the core principles of standard DBT, the therapeutic strategies in RO-DBT are quite different. For example, RO-DBT contends that emotional loneliness represents the core problem for over-control, not emotion dysregulation. The biosocial theory for over-control posits that heightened threat sensitivity and diminished reward sensitivity transact with early family experiences emphasizing “mistakes as intolerable” and “self-control as imperative” to result in an over-controlled coping style that limits opportunities to learn new skills and exploit positive social reinforcers. A novel thesis linking the communicative functions of emotional expression to the formation of close social bonds will be introduced, as well as new skills emphasizing receptivity, self-enquiry and flexible responding. New approaches designed to activate a neurobiological-based social-safety system, signal cooperation, and encourage genuine self-disclosure will be introduced using slides, handouts, video clips, and role plays.