Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Case Formulation and Chain Analysis

Please note that all registrations have to be paid in full before the event takes place - otherwise you will miss out on receiving the Zoom link. This event will be recorded for all those who are registered on the day. Recording is available for three weeks.

Over the past 30 years, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993a; 2015) has become a well-established treatment for people with complex mental health concerns characterized by emotion dysreguation. Dr. Marsha Linehan originally developed DBT in an effort to help chronically suicidal individuals. Starting with evidence-based cognitive and behavioural interventions, DBT evolved into an approach anchored by dialectical theory, Zen practices, and basic behavioural and emotion science. As many chronically suicidal individuals also faced challenges consistent with borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT also evolved to address the needs of people who experience emotion dysregulation, a hallmark feature of BPD. DBT is a program or community of treatment consisting of individual therapy, group skills training, telephone consultation, and a therapist consultation team. Although comprehensive and effective, DBT is still often unavailable and unaccessible for many consumers who need it. 

Some of the foundations of effective individual DBT include a strong case formulation and skill in assessing behaviour. In DBT, a common method used to assess target behaviours is the “chain analysis,” which is essentially an assessment of the factors leading up to and following a particular problem behaviour. Therapists in DBT use chain analyses to address many different targets, from life-threatening behaviour (suicide attempts, self-harm) to behaviours that interfere with therapy (e.g., lateness, absences, challenging interpersonal behaviours), and those that hamper the client’s quality of life. In this workshop, Dr. Chapman will start by discussing the role of case formulation in DBT and then describe and discuss key tips for conducting effective chain analyses for a range of behavioural targets.

Learning Objectives

• Describe and discuss the theoretical foundations of DBT.
• Describe and discuss the role of case formulation in DBT.
• Describe and discuss tips for effective chain analyses.

PRESENTER: PROFESSOR ALEXANDER CHAPMAN (CANADA)

Alexander L. Chapman, Ph.D., R.Psych. is a professor, director of clinical training, and clinical science area coordinator in the psychology department at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Chapman completed his B.A. at U.B.C., his M.S. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Idaho State University (APA accredited), and his predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center. After completing a post-doc at the University of Washington with Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, he joined the faculty at SFU in 2005, where he established the Personality and Emotion Research Laboratory (PERL). Dr. Chapman’s research at the PERL focuses on complex psychopathology characterized by emotion regulation problems, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-injury, and related areas. Dr. Chapman has received over $4 million in external and internal funding for translational and treatment outcome research. He was Co-PI for the largest randomized trial of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) to date, comparing 6- to 12-months of DBT for chronically self-harming/suicidal patients with BPD. He has authored/co-authored over 100 refereed journal articles/book chapters and 13 books.

Dr. Chapman has received the Young Investigator’s Award of the National Alliance for BPD (2007), the Canadian Psychological Association’s Early Career Scientist Practitioner Award (2011), and an 8-year Career Investigator Award (2012-2019) from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. At SFU, Dr. Chapman received a Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence in 2017 and a Retention Award in 2019. In addition, he is a fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT).

Dr. Chapman is actively involved in university, academic, and community service. In his department, he has held service appointments continuously (excepting study leaves) since 2008, serving as associate chair (graduate), clinical science area coordinator, and director of clinical training. Actively involved in journal and grant peer-review process, Dr. Chapman is a member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) College of Reviewers, associate editor of the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, and a standing scientific officer for a CIHR grant committee. He serves as certification chair and as a member of the board of directors for the CACBT and is on the test-writing committee for the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification.

Dr. Chapman is a registered psychologist with expertise in the assessment and treatment of complex mental health concerns, such as BPD, suicide risk, and self-injury. He co-founded the DBT Centre of Vancouver, a treatment centre emphasizing the care of people with complex mental health problems, from an evidence-based CBT and DBT perspective. Dr. Chapman greatly enjoys teaching and training clinicians and students in effective treatments for complex clinical problems. He has many years of experience training and consulting for multi-year projects to implement DBT across large correctional and community mental health systems. He also is board-certified in both cognitive behavioural therapy (CACBT) and DBT (Linehan Board). Outside of work, Dr. Chapman has extensive experience with mindfulness and martial arts. He enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and time with his wife, two sons, and his dog, Charlie.