DBT Tools to Help Stubbornly Resistant and Reactive Clients
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy can be extremely helpful even if your client doesn’t meet all criteria for BPD (actual BPD prevalence is less than 2% of the general population). DBT skills have contributed to positive outcomes in the treatment of other conditions like mood disorders, trauma, eating disorders, and even anxiety and OCD. Its core benefit lies in the attention it gives to arousal and reactivity, viewed primarily from a psychosocial perspective. Clinicians who love to use these skills like DBT’s baked in philosophy of: “Yes you have experiences and strong emotions that are valid (i.e. acceptance), but you must change your behaviors if you want to improve your experiences and relieve suffering (i.e. change).” DBT’s construct validates and affirms the client’s experiences and reactions while simultaneously placing ultimate responsibility on them (not their therapist, spouse, sibling) to put in the work necessary to experience positive change.
This workshop will teach participants about core DBT skills to use with reactive and resistant clients. Treatment resistance is a common experience in counseling, frequently leaving the counselor and the client frustrated with the treatment process. Utilizing techniques found in DBT’s emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills, participants will learn how to apply specific interventions to address therapy-interfering behaviors. Examples of effective strategies to use with resistant clients will be provided. The workshop will include a review of core concepts within DBT and updated techniques within the treatment.
Learning Objectives:
a). Participants will gain an understanding of the fundamental techniques utilized in DBT treatment.
b). Participants will identify core DBT concepts used to treat therapy-interfering behaviors.
c). Participants will examine the benefits and limitations of DBT treatment with resistant and reactive clients.
Target Audience:
Clinical Mental Health Professionals such as Counselors, Psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Social Workers.
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Pay once for lifetime access.
Course Duration: 3 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Lifetime Access: Your access to the course does not expire, so you can revisit key concepts anytime you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
Adolescents struggling with substance abuse and personality disorders - and the families trying to support them - often fall through the cracks of traditional mental health systems that aren't designed to address the complex interplay of developmental, psychological, and social factors affecting young people. Kimberly Duris has dedicated over 25 years to understanding and treating these challenging presentations, becoming a recognised expert who bridges clinical practice, academic training, and community leadership to create comprehensive support systems for vulnerable youth.
As Full Professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Lewis University and Clinical Director of Guiding Light Counseling, Dr. Duris brings unique expertise that spans clinical practice, educator training, and community service. Her EdD in Counselor Education and Supervision, combined with her roles as Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, demonstrate her commitment to both direct service and professional development. Her co-authored book What You Need to Know about Personality Disorders (Bloomsbury Academic) and recognition as a media expert in the Newswise Expert Database reflect her ability to translate complex clinical knowledge into accessible guidance for professionals and families.
Dr. Duris's expertise spans children and adolescent mental health, substance abuse counseling, personality disorders, community mental health, clinical supervision, and counselor education. Her approach recognises that effective treatment of adolescents requires understanding developmental psychology, family systems, school environments, and community resources. She specialises in cases where substance abuse and personality disorders co-occur, situations requiring intensive community support, and training the next generation of counselors to work effectively with high-risk youth.
What sets her training apart is comprehensive systems thinking combined with real-world experience. Duris doesn't just teach individual therapy techniques - she shows practitioners how to coordinate care across multiple systems while advocating for policy changes that support vulnerable youth. Her role as elected school board president demonstrates her commitment to creating environments where all children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
For your practice, expect to gain specific interventions for adolescent substance abuse, tools for working with emerging personality disorders, and frameworks for coordinating care across family, school, and community systems. Her approach particularly benefits clinicians working with high-risk adolescents, those treating dual-diagnosis presentations, or practitioners wanting to develop advocacy and systems-change skills.
Quick Win: Duris's "developmental assets mapping" technique helps practitioners quickly identify the protective factors and risk factors in an adolescent's environment - helping to reveal intervention opportunities that traditional individual therapy approaches can sometimes miss.
Qualifications
- EdD, Counselor Education and Supervision, Lewis University, 2015
- MA, Counseling Psychology, Lewis University, 2000–2002
- BA, Psychology and Criminal Social Justice, Lewis University, 1996–2000
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Illinois
- Certified Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC)
- Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
- 25+ years experience in mental health counseling
Authored Publications
- What You Need to Know about Personality Disorders (co-author)
- Multiple scholarly articles on counseling psychology, personality disorders, substance abuse treatment, and counselor education
- Professional publications in peer-reviewed journals on mental health topics
Leadership & Teaching
- Full Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, Department of Psychology, Lewis University, January 2007–present (18+ years)
- President, Board of Education, Roselle School District 12, May 2019–present (elected 2019, re-elected 2025, term expires April 2029)
- Clinical Director, Guiding Light Counseling, Bolingbrook, IL, July 2009–present (16+ years)
Professional Experience
- Mental Health Counselor/Director, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program, Trinity Services Inc., December 2002–January 2007 (4 years)
- Program Manager/PsychTech, Maryville Academy, July 2000–October 2003 (3+ years)
- Various clinical positions in community mental health, 2000–present
Speaking & Training
- Professional conference presentations on personality disorders, substance abuse, and adolescent mental health
- Educational workshops for mental health professionals
- Community presentations on child development and mental health
- University guest lectures and academic presentations
- Professional training in clinical supervision and counselor education
Ready to develop comprehensive approaches to adolescent mental health that address individual, family, and community factors? Discover how Dr. Duris's systems-based methods can help you create effective interventions for high-risk youth while building the community partnerships essential for lasting change.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 2
- Topics 0
- Duration 3 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English