ISITDBT

ISITDBT is the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a system of behavior therapy developed by Marsha M. Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP, a professor of psychology and a researcher at the University of Washington, to treat people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) . DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques for emotion regulation with concepts of distress tolerance, acceptance, and mindful awareness largely derived from Zen practice.

ISITDBT is a volunteer organization with the sole task (until this year) of organizing an annual conference to bring together DBT clinicians from around the US and around the globe. Starting this year, ISITDBT is working towards a partnership with the Board of Certification and Accreditation (BOCA) for the DBT Certification and Accreditation process.

The first ISITDBT conference was held in 1996 and was chaired by Dr. Charles Swenson. The ISITDBT conference aims to provide workshops for clinical development of DBT skills or DBT program development, as well as research panels to disseminate information about the ongoing evidence base that underlies DBT.

The annual ISITDBT conference is held in November on the Thursday of the annual weekend conference of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

For 2012, ISITDBT will hold its 17th annual conference on November 15, 2012 in National Harbor, MD, nearby Washington,D.C.