Treating misery, isolation & loneliness seen in disorders of overcontrol such as chronic/refractory depression, chronic anxiety, autism, anorexia, and more.
RO DBT SKILLS CLASS
What is radically open dialectical behavior therapy?
Have you ever felt chronically misunderstood, like no one seems to understand you no matter how hard you try and communicate with others?
Maybe you don’t trust other people due to history of trauma or other interpersonal factors. Maybe you are neurodiverse and are downright tired of trying to explain yourself to neurotypical individuals. Maybe you have a hard time straying from your rule-governed behavior (who makes the rules here anyway?). Maybe fear gets in the way.
We all develop self-control during the course of our life but some may have the tendency to overuse it.
Whether you learned to mask to fit in, you learned to people please in order to survive, or learned that showing true emotions leads to danger or punishment, excessive self-control can lead to a variety of problems in interpersonal functioning and lead to feelings of misery, isolation, and loneliness, seen in autism or with difficult-to-treat mental health conditions like anorexia and chronic/refractory depression.
As stated on the RO DBT website:
Maladaptive overcontrol is characterized by four core deficits:
Low receptivity and openness: manifested by low openness to novel, unexpected, or disconfirming feedback, avoidance of uncertainty or unplanned risks, suspiciousness, hyper-vigilance for potential threat, and marked tendencies to discount or dismiss critical feedback.
Low flexible-control: manifested by compulsive needs for structure and order, hyper-perfectionism, high social obligation and dutifulness, compulsive rehearsal, premeditation, and planning, compulsive fixing and approach coping, rigid rule-governed behavior, and high moral certitude (e.g., there is only one right way of doing something).
Pervasive inhibited emotional expression and low emotional awareness: manifested by context inappropriate inhibition of emotional expression (e.g., exhibiting a flat-face when complimented) and/or insincere or incongruent expressions of emotion (e.g., smiling when distressed, showing concern when not feeling it), consistent under-reporting of distress, and low awareness of body sensations.
Low social connectedness and intimacy with others: manifested by aloof and distant relationships, feeling different from other people, frequent social comparisons, high envy and bitterness, and reduced empathy.
In RO DBT, participants learn that emotional well-being and psychological health are linked to openness, flexibility, and social connectedness. The treatment facilitates change and healing via self-inquiry and social signaling, because how a person communicates makes more of an impact to self and others compared to what a person communicates. (Have you ever responded with “I didn’t intend it like that” or “I didn’t mean to say it like that” based on feedback from others?). Based on over 25 years of clinical research, by focusing on mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness skills, a person can become more open-minded, can better adapt to situations, feel connected to others, and ultimately improve their sense of well-being.
To check out the research on how effective this treatment is, check out this page and this factsheet.
At coastal art therapy services, we teach ro dbt skills class.
Our clinician Lisa C. Thomas, LPC, ATR-BC is level-II trained in RO DBT blended learning program and has been implementing this treatment in the Hampton Roads area since 2024. If you think you could benefit from RO DBT skills class, we would love for you to join us! See below for more information. To sign up for class, submit an inquiry via the form on our website here.
RO DBT SKILLS Class
For adults ages 18+
cost
$60 per group
OR
Anthem BCBS (commercial and medicaid)
Sentara Health Plans (commercial and medicaid)
Aetna (commercial only)
Certified OON Tricare
time commitment
Weekly 75 minute group
Tuesdays 4:00pm - 5:15pm
30 week commitment
Group Structure
Brief Mindfulness Practice
Homework Review
Teach new RO DBT Lesson
Skills Covered
Mindfulness
Interpersonal Effectiveness
These skills are designed to increase awareness, enhance social connectedness in at least 1 important relationship.