Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy for College Counseling Centers

Abstract

College counseling centers report increased student presentation with severe psychological issues (Gallagher, 2012). Although dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has demonstrated efficacy with multiple clinical populations, standard model DBT is not feasible for many traditional college counseling centers. This article describes the iterative development and evolution of a comprehensive DBT program adapted to fit the scope of a traditional college counseling center. Guidelines for implementing lessons learned over the 3 years of the program are provided.

The Role of Mindfulness, Self‐Compassion, and Emotion Regulation in Eating Disorder Symptoms Among College Students

“…In a meta‐analysis, Lenz et al () found that DBT may be efficacious in reducing the number of disordered eating episodes as well as decreasing comorbid depression. DBT addresses four areas of skill development: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation (Chugani, ; Lenz et al, ). Chugani () offers suggestions for implementing DBT in a college counseling setting.…”

“…DBT addresses four areas of skill development: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation (Chugani, ; Lenz et al, ). Chugani () offers suggestions for implementing DBT in a college counseling setting.…”

“…T oday's college students experience greater stress than did past generations (Brunner, Wallace, Reymann, Sellers, & McCabe, ; Chugani, ; Morgan, ). In addition to adjusting to the academic stress of college and the changes associated with emerging adulthood, the current generation of students is characterized by emotional struggles related to an increased drive for achievement and the need to conform (Brunner et al, ).…”

The effectiveness, acceptability, and sustainability of a 4‐week DBT‐informed group therapy in increasing psychological resilience for college students with mental health issues

“…Unfortunately, many barriers exist against implementing a comprehensive DBT treatment in limited resource settings such as UCCs due to the scope of clinical services, heterogeneity of presenting concerns, productivity demands, and practical barriers to treatment fidelity (Chugani & Landes, 2016). Thus, Chugani (2015Chugani ( , 2017 suggested that adapted, time-limited DBT skills training group therapy can be an evidence-based treatment module that can easily fit the needs, demands, and limitations of UCCs and effectively treat students with vulnerability to severe and complex mental disorders. This suggestion is in line with Valentine et al (2015) who systemically reviewed 17 clinical trials and presented preliminary evidence of the utility of DBT skills training as a stand-alone treatment.…”