Radically Open DBT: For those of us who are over-controlled

Presented by Jason Luoma, Ph.D., and Bryce Doehne, Psy.D.

Who:  Does it feel like no one really gets what it is like to be you, especially some of the closest people to you? Have you learned to mask, suppress or control hurt and tender feelings? Do you consider yourself shy? Do you pride yourself on your self-control and yet at times feel overwhelmed and underappreciated? Is it hard for you to enjoy or even take downtime or to break one of your own rules?  Do you sometimes feel all alone, even surrounded by people, and no one would guess how miserable you feel on the inside?

Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RODBT) is a new treatment for patients who suffer from emotional overcontrol.

What is emotional overcontrol?

While high self-control is generally thought to be a good thing, too much self-control can be a problem for some people. Excessive self-control is associated with social isolation, interpersonal problems, and appears to be a central contributor to conditions like anorexia nervosa and chronic depression. While some people lack of emotional control and need help learning how to be less impulsive or emotionally-driven, people who are overly controlled need help with learning how to relax overly rigid and inflexible control over their emotions and emotion expression.

What: Come explore how to put joy back in your life.  Learn concrete skills to loosen up your temperament (the way your brain is wired) so it works for you and not against you. Come hear about cutting edge research on effective skills to change your old patterns and habits, learn how to enhance intimacy and reduce very private experience of self-loathing or criticism. These skills are particularly helpful with perfectionism, over-work, and restrictive eating disordered behaviors. To learn more about RO-DBT visit portlandpsychotherapyclinic.com/radically-open-dbt-us-controlled/.

When: Thursdays 6:00 – 8:00 pm. We have rolling admission, so you can join the class at any point. Just pick a ticket to let us know you'd like to talk about joining. You must complete a screening appointment before attending so we can be sure the class is a good fit for you. The complete class is a 30-week commitment. 

Where: 3700 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Format: The class uses a traditional classroom format. Everyone who attends sits around a table. The facilitators begin each class with a brief exercise, followed by homework review, the introduction of new material, and homework assignments. It should feel familiar as the format is like other classroom settings. We aim to create a welcoming, warm, and fun environment for learning.

To Register or to learn more about the class you can either pick a ticket above and we'll contact you, or you can contact: 

Jason Luoma at 503-281-4852 x213, jbluoma@portlandpsychotherapyclinic.com;

Bryce Doehne at 503-281-4852 x220, bdoehne@portlandpsychotherapyclinic.com.

The cost is $65.00 a week and most kinds of insurance are accepted. 

Class facilitators

Jason Luoma, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who specializes in the treatment of highly self-critical and shame prone people. In addition to his clinical practice, he is cofounder of Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center, a unique research and training clinic where proceeds go to fund scientific research. He is also a speaker, therapist trainer, and scientific researcher.  You can learn more about him at www.drluoma.com.

Bryce Doehne, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist at Portland Psychotherapy. His specialties include substance use, generalized & social anxiety, depression, dysthymia, relationships & transitions, and identity & values clarification. You can learn more about him here.

Class leaders are part of a small group of therapists in the U.S.A. being intensively trained in Radically Open DBT by the founders of the therapy.