Alliance-Focused DBT Training for Therapists Treating Borderline Personality Disorder

This study focuses on improving therapy for people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), a condition marked by emotional instability, impulsiveness, and difficulties in relationships. Traditional therapy methods often struggle to form strong therapeutic connections with BPD clients, which are crucial for successful treatment. This study investigates whether specific training programs can help therapists better handle and repair any issues that arise in their therapeutic relationships with BPD clients. The aim is to see if these trainings can improve therapy outcomes by teaching therapists how to effectively manage emotional and interpersonal challenges that often occur in BPD treatments. In the study, up to eighty psychotherapists will be randomly divided into two groups to receive different types of training over four weeks. One training involves reflective practice while the other uses deliberate practice, both focusing on improving therapists' skills to respond to alliance issues with BPD clients. Participants will be evaluated on their ability to recognize and address these issues through various tasks, and their personal traits like emotion regulation and empathy will also be assessed. The study will measure changes in these skills and traits, as well as gather feedback on the training's feasibility and acceptability, to determine how these approaches might enhance therapy for BPD patients.