Integrating Diversity into DBT

Lizbeth Gaona, PhD, LCSW, is Associate Professor in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at California Baptist University. Dr. Gaona was intensively trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in 2010 and has extensive experience as a DBT clinical consultant and supervisor in community mental health programs. A bicultural, bilingual Latina educator and clinician, she has a particular focus on the provision of culturally relevant DBT for monolingual Spanish-speaking, low-acculturated Latinx clients. From 2014 to 2015, Dr. Gaona served as Director of the DBT-ACES program at the Harbor–UCLA Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic. She is a past board member for the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies and spearheaded the inception of its Diversity Action Committee.Lisa Bolden, PsyD, MA, is a clinical psychologist dedicated to providing compassionate, research-backed therapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. Beyond clinical work, she is deeply involved in community mental health, practitioner training, and research, with a focus on ethnic disparities in mental health and culturally proficient care. Dr. Bolden served as Program Site Director for the DBT-ACES program at Harbor–UCLA Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic from 2008 to 2023. As cofounder of a multisite private practice and mental health nonprofit, she collaborates with agencies, universities, and professionals to enhance advocacy, treatment, and inclusion in the mental health field.Katherine Anne Comtois, PhD, MPH, is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. She was a research therapist and co-investigator with Marsha Linehan on her clinical trials from 1994 to 2006 and Director of the DBT program at Harborview Mental Health and Addiction Services from 1996 to 2019. She now leads the DBT standard and training programs at the University of Washington Medical Center Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. In addition to leading the development of DBT Next Steps and the DBT-ACES program, Dr. Comtois provides training and consultation in standard DBT, DBT Next Steps, and DBT-ACES internationally.

• Foreword, Pamela A. HaysPreface1. A Diversity of Diversity2. Biosocial Theory and Cultural Assessment3. DBT Assumptions from an Anti-Oppressive Lens4. Toward a Culturally Proficient and Humble DBT Team5. Cultural and Diversity Dialectics6. Validation toward Addressing Racialized Stress7. Implicit Bias and the Power of Reciprocal Communication8. Case Management: Assessing the Power of the Client’s Environment9. The DBT Diary Card: Diversity Considerations10. Concluding ThoughtsResourcesReferencesIndex

This innovative book offers a groundbreaking approach to integrating diversity into DBT. It thoughtfully addresses cultural considerations, enabling therapists to tailor interventions to the unique needs of diverse clients. Diversity and related concepts are clearly operationalized and supported by time-tested research. The Culturally Proficient DBT Clinician Pro Tips are so practical and useful! Every aspect of culturally humble provision of DBT, from assessment to diary cards, is meticulously presented. A 'must read' for practitioners and students, this work expands the possibilities of DBT and fosters deeper understanding and inclusion in mental health practice.--Jennifer Shepard Payne, PhD, LCSW-C, Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineAn instant classic. The authors masterfully accomplish the daunting yet imperative task of weaving core cultural competence constructs into the very fiber of DBT theory and practice. Gaona, Bolden, and Comtois offer readers a master class in the integration of sociocultural context into every level of therapy--assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment. I highly recommend this book to any clinician who seeks practical and concrete strategies for doing culturally responsive DBT.--Janeé M. Steele, PhD, licensed professional counselor, educator, author, and speaker, Kalamazoo, Michigan“Essential reading for any DBT clinician committed to providing ethical care for clients from diverse backgrounds. Cultural responsiveness and humility are treated not as an add-on, but as a natural extension and application of dialectics. This book is a timely guide for adapting DBT with flexibility, fidelity, and integrity.â€--Breese Annable, PsyD, clinical psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist, Asheville, North Carolina“DBT saves lives, and it must be practiced in ways that honor the full humanity of the people we serve. For too long, conversations about culture, power, and identity have been treated as peripheral to DBT--this book brings those conversations to the forefront. Without cultural humility and anti-oppressive awareness, even evidence-based treatments risk becoming another layer of invalidation. This book offers clinicians an important starting point for integrating diversity into DBT practice in thoughtful and meaningful ways.â€--Shaelene Lauriano Kite, MA, LPC, founder, Rebelmente and DBT of South Jersey-