DBT DBT Treatment Structure and Theory 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In DBT, what is the function of the therapist consultation team?
- To supervise clients' progress
- To keep therapists motivated, competent, and adherent to DBT principles (Correct answer)
- To coordinate insurance billing
- To conduct group therapy sessions
Correct answer: To keep therapists motivated, competent, and adherent to DBT principles
The consultation team serves as 'therapy for the therapist,' helping clinicians stay motivated, adherent to DBT principles, and emotionally regulated when treating difficult cases.
Question 2: What is 'pre-treatment' in DBT?
- A period of assessment before starting any therapy
- A phase to orient clients to DBT and obtain commitment to treatment goals (Correct answer)
- Hospitalization before outpatient DBT begins
- A medication evaluation period
Correct answer: A phase to orient clients to DBT and obtain commitment to treatment goals
Pre-treatment involves orienting the client to DBT, establishing agreements about goals, and obtaining a genuine commitment to engage in treatment.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the hierarchy of treatment targets in Stage 1 DBT?
- Quality of life issues, then therapy-interfering behaviors, then life-threatening behaviors
- Life-threatening behaviors, then therapy-interfering behaviors, then quality of life issues (Correct answer)
- Skills deficits, then motivational issues, then environmental factors
- Emotional regulation, then distress tolerance, then interpersonal skills
Correct answer: Life-threatening behaviors, then therapy-interfering behaviors, then quality of life issues
Stage 1 DBT prioritizes life-threatening behaviors first, followed by therapy-interfering behaviors, then quality of life issues, in that specific order.
Question 4: What does DBT assume about clients who engage in dysfunctional behaviors?
- They are manipulative and attention-seeking
- They are doing the best they can and need to do better (Correct answer)
- They lack insight into their problems
- They are resistant to change
Correct answer: They are doing the best they can and need to do better
A core DBT assumption is that clients are doing the best they can AND need to do better, change, and try harder — both are simultaneously true.
Question 5: Which philosophical tradition most heavily influenced the acceptance-based components of DBT?
- Stoicism
- Confucianism
- Zen Buddhism (Correct answer)
- Existentialism
Correct answer: Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhist philosophy, particularly mindfulness and radical acceptance, heavily influenced the acceptance-based strategies in DBT.
Question 6: In DBT's Stage 2 treatment, what is the primary focus?
- Achieving behavioral control and safety
- Reducing post-traumatic stress and quiet desperation (Correct answer)
- Building a life worth living with ordinary happiness
- Fostering freedom and capacity for joy
Correct answer: Reducing post-traumatic stress and quiet desperation
Stage 2 of DBT focuses on reducing post-traumatic stress and moving clients from 'quiet desperation' toward emotional experiencing.
DBT DBT Treatment Structure and Theory 2
In DBT, what is the function of the therapist consultation team?