Overview:
Validation is an essential component of many therapies, but is particularly relevant within DBT. Without a “context of validation,” change often becomes impossible. Although most therapists recognize that validation is important, many struggle to apply it when working with more challenging clients such as those who engage in life-threatening behavior or who seem to reject any attempts by the therapist to help. This presentation will correct common misconceptions about validation and review and apply DBT’s 6 levels of validation using specific examples from therapy . Attendees will learn and practice “Radical Genuineness,” a type of self-disclosure that, when done skillfully, is considered the highest level of validation.
Objectives:
Recognize what validation is and what it is not
Learn the 6 levels of validation according to DBT
Identify and challenge therapist internal barriers to validation
About the Presenter: Dr. Stephanie Vaughn
Dr. Vaughn is a seasoned Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Linehan Board Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist™ (DBT), national speaker, and has served as an expert consultant for variety of institutions including the U.S. Department of Defense, Kennedy Krieger Hospital, Jacksonville Naval Hospital, Kentucky Western State Hospital, & Camp Pendleton Marine Base. She earned a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, completed a Doctoral internship at Vanderbilt University (where she also founded their DBT Peer Consultation team), and completed her post-doctoral work at the Department of Veteran Affairs- Intensive PTSD Program conducting Prolonged Exposure (PE) for combat veterans and women with Military Sexual Trauma. She served for 6 years as a provider for Logistics Health Incorporated (LHI) conducting fitness-for-duty evaluations for soldiers preparing to enter the military.
