Can’t attend the live streamed version of this workshop? All of our workshops are also available as pre-recorded on-demand videos that you can watch when you want. All are available 10 working days after the live date presentation for up to one year.
Introduction
On Friday June 13, 2025, Dr. Melanie Harned will deliver a full-day workshop on the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure Protocol (DBT-PE) for PTSD.
Workshop Outline
This workshop is designed to provide an introduction to the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure Protocol (DBT PE) for PTSD, one of the newest developments in DBT research and practice. DBT was originally developed to treat chronically suicidal and self-injuring individuals with multiple mental disorders and pervasive emotion dysregulation. From its inception, DBT has highlighted the role of trauma as a common etiological factor and PTSD as an important treatment target for many clients who receive this treatment. The first two decades of DBT treatment development and research primarily focused on Stage 1 DBT to target behavioral dyscontrol, and DBT’s Stage 2 in which PTSD is targeted was left largely undeveloped. As a result, formal treatment of PTSD during DBT has historically been the exception rather than the norm. The DBT PE protocol, an adapted version of Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy, was developed specifically to provide a structured method of treating PTSD within DBT.
In this workshop, the rationale and empirical support for integrating DBT PE into DBT will be described. The use of Stage 1 DBT to help clients achieve safety and stability, as well as the criteria for determining readiness to begin Stage 2 DBT PE, will be reviewed. Key tasks of the initial sessions of DBT PE will be explained, including orienting to the treatment rationale, selecting target traumas, and providing psychoeducation. Finally, the core procedures of DBT PE will be described, including how in vivo exposure, imaginal exposure, and processing are used to treat PTSD.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will learn to:
Describe the rationale for integrating PTSD treatment into DBT.
Review research findings evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
Explain the criteria for determining readiness to start DBT PE.
Understand the rationale for using DBT PE to treat PTSD.
Explain the core procedures of DBT PE.
About the Presenter
Melanie Harned, PhD, ABPP is a Psychologist and Coordinator of the DBT Program at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. Dr. Harned has previously worked as the Research Director of Dr. Marsha Linehan’s Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington (2006-2018), Director of Research and Development for Behavioral Tech, LLC (2014-2017), and Director of Behavioral Tech Research, Inc. (2013-2016). Dr. Harned’s research focuses on the development and evaluation of the DBT Prolonged Exposure protocol for PTSD as well as methods of disseminating and implementing this and other evidence-based treatments into clinical practice. She regularly provides training and consultation nationally and internationally in DBT and DBT PE and has published extensively on these treatments. She is a certified DBT therapist, a certified PE therapist and supervisor, is board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive therapy, and is licensed as a psychologist in the state of Washington.
Training Modalities
Didactic content, Q&A, live role play, experiential components, and polls.
Who should attend
This introductory workshop is intended for mental health professionals who are familiar with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Continuing Education (CE) Credits
Bespoke Mental Health Canada is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Bespoke Mental Health Canada maintains responsibility for the program.
After viewing this workshop live, participants have the option to complete an evaluation form in order to be eligible to receive a certificate confirming the number of credits awarded. This certificate will be sent via email.
Participants who view this workshop as a pre-recorded event will need to complete an additional content-related workshop knowledge quiz in order to be eligible to receive CE credits.
Participants who complete this workshop are eligible to receive 6 CE credits.
Fees
Professionals: $175 CAD + tax
Students*: $140 CAD + tax
* Proof of student status may be required in order to qualify for a student rate.
Key References
Harned, M. S. (2022). Treating Trauma in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: The DBT Prolonged Exposure Protocol (DBT PE). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Harned, M. S., Schmidt, S. C., Korslund, K. E., & Gallop, R. J. (2021). Does adding the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) protocol for PTSD to DBT improve outcomes in public mental health settings? A pilot nonrandomized effectiveness trial with benchmarking. Behavior Therapy, 52, 639-655.
Harned, M. S., Ritschel, L. A., Schmidt, S. C. (2021). Effects of workshop training in the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol on clinician beliefs, adoption, and perceived clinical outcomes. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34, 427-439.
Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., & Linehan, M. M. (2014). A pilot randomized controlled trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with and without the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol for suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 55, 7-17.
Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., Foa, E. B., & Linehan, M. M. (2012). Treating PTSD in suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder: Development and preliminary evaluation of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50, 381-386.
More information coming soon.