First Successful Peer-Led Dialectical Behavioral Techniques Workshop

Traditionally DBT has always been offered by professional psychologists, nurses, social workers or certified mental health workers, but something incredible is happening in Victoria, BC that is truly breaking new ground! An adapted form of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is now being facilitated by Peer Support Workers. The peer-led psycho-educational initiative is called the New Light Recovery Workshop (NLRW). It is part of the Peer Support Program at the BC Schizophrenia Society – Victoria Branch and is funded by the United Way of Greater Victoria.

Although based on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), the NLRW workshop emphasizes the relevance of facilitators who are also people in recovery (peers) and are not professionals offering any form of therapy. To ensure this understanding, skills are referred to as Dialectical Behavioral Techniques (DBT*) and are not intended as a replacement for professional therapy/mental health treatment. The Peer Support Workers who facilitate the workshop are far along in their recovery from mental illness, have extensive knowledge of DBT and regularly apply the skills to their daily lives.

So, why peer-led? The unique perceptive of “somebody who’s been there” and knows what it is like to have a mental illness that causes overwhelming and painful emotions is something very special indeed and not something that most people experience in a professional therapeutic relationship. Our participants tell us “I feel less alone”,  “I really appreciate the opportunity to share with others who understand me”, “I like that we are all in this learning together” and “I just love that this workshop is peer-driven.” In other words, peer-led DBT* gives our participants hope that they to can and will experience recovery!

The prime reason for joining this workshop for participants is to help them deal with various forms of self-destructive behavior that make it difficult for them to experience a quality of life due to emotional dysregulation. Participants have various mental illness including Clinical Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Bipolar Disorder. Some participants are dealing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, self-injury and substance abuse.

Overall, participants learn how to create “a life worth living” through regulating their emotions and handling daily stress. Like traditional DBT, the NLRW covers all four skill building modules including Core Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Participants also learn to validate their own and other peoples’ experiences and about dialectical relationships (what happens when two opposites combine to make something new). Unlike traditional DBT, participants do not receive individual counseling or phone support, although we do aim to make the group a nurturing and caring environment to learn and grow.

Currently, the workshop is in the midst of its third full run though. After the completion of the pilot workshop, a detailed report was developed evaluating the workshop and future  development. The following is a sample of feedback provided:

“Excellent. We need mentoring programs from those with lived experience. Lived experience is often more valuable than people who have gone to school. This is the only course that has really suited and helped me.”

“It was worth my time and made a difference”

“ I am still doing my diary cards! I have learned “Radical Acceptance”, “One- Mindfully”, “Participate”, and “opposite Action” – when I don’t feel like doing something I do it anyway.”

“Very helpful because my expectations were surpassed. I learned a lot.”

“A needed service for people with BPD. I would highly recommend this workshop

“It is an excellent tool for recovery for my mental illness Borderline Personality Disorder.”

To see the full report, please visit: New Light Recovery Workshop Report. In the near future, we hope to have completed a second report consisting not only of qualitative measures, but also of quantitative measures of the workshops effectiveness.