GROUP THERAPY

Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy

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Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) is a treatment method that is designed to help people who are emotionally overcontrolled. In each week of this group, we will introduce new RO DBT concepts and skills to help group members learn how to become more authentic, open, and connected with others.

What is emotional overcontrol?
Having self-control is generally seen as a good thing, but for people who are excessively self-controlled (overcontrolled) it can cause challenges in interpersonal relationships and can be contributing factor to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. People who are overcontrolled tend to be:

   - Perfectionistic and hyper-detail-focused

   - Rigid and rule-governed

   - Exhausted by social interactions

   - Stoic (masking their inner feelings by not showing emotion)

   - Avoidant of situations in which there are not clear rules to guide behavior

   - Closed off to new experiences

   - Quick to dismiss critical feedback (because it’s painful to hear)

   - Lacking a sense of belonging and closeness

   - Likely to make social comparisons that lead them to be highly critical of themselves and/or others

Those of us who are emotionally overcontrolled might catch ourselves saying or believing statements like:

   - It’s very important not to make mistakes.

   - Showing weakness or vulnerability is dangerous or bad.

   - It’s important and laudable to stay in control at all times.

   - Winning and succeeding are very important.

   - They should suffer in silence rather than seek support or help.

Radical Openness
RO DBT concepts and skills are designed to help people cultivate radical openness, which is a quality made up of three key factors:

   - Receptivity and openness to new experiences and disconfirming feedback in order to learn.

   - Flexibility in order to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

   - Intimacy and social-connectedness (with at least one other person) based on premises that species survival required capacities to form long-lasting bonds and work in groups or tribes.

What to Expect
Each group meeting will cover key concepts and skills from the RO DBT skills manual. Each class will be a structured learning experience, starting with a brief opening activity, and then introducing new material to cover that day. Class members will be provided with handouts and worksheets to guide their learning, and will be asked to complete assignments between each group meeting to help them put the new skills they are learning into practice.
 

Details

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Co-Facilitators: Chloe Chatenever, MA, LPC

Faith Holloway, MA, LPC

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If you are interested in learning more about RO-DBT or upcoming group schedules, please reach out.

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