We are very happy to pass this information on about a great group for people with bipolar being offered in the bay area by an expert in the psychosocial treatments for bipolar: Dr. Jenifer Culver.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder in Los Altos, CA. The Next group begins September 2015.
This group focuses on teaching DBT skills tailored for individuals with bipolar disorder. Group members will learn skills to better manage moods and emotions. This group is broken into three 14-week modules focused on improving emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Mindfulness skills are a central focus of all three modules and are repeated in each group. This group is intended to complement individual therapy and medication treatments. New groups begin every 14 weeks.
This group is facilitated by Jenifer Culver, Ph.D. Dr. Culver has been treating individuals with bipolar disorder individually and in groups for over 15 years.
She has worked at the Stanford University Bipolar Disorders Clinic since 2003, and she has conducted this DBT group for Bipolar Disorder at Stanford continuously for the past 12 years. She is now shifting into full time private practice and continues to offer this group in her private practice in Los Altos.
- Dates/Times: Thursday afternoons, Los Altos/Palo Alto area
- Format: Didactics, discussion, mindfulness practice, homework, and mood monitoring
- Fee: Intake: $215, weekly sessions: $100
- Next group begins: September 2015
Duration: Each module includes 14 sessions lasting 90 minutes. Group members sign up for one module at a time and may continue with subsequent modules as desired.
In the Emotion Regulation module, group members learn greater awareness of emotional responses, how to distinguish between emotions and moods, and how to use emotional experience as valuable information in making decisions and communicating with others. The group discusses the role that emotions play in interpersonal interactions, and participants will learn skills to reduce emotional vulnerability, increase positive emotions, and be non-mindful of worries.
In the Distress Tolerance module, group members learn how to manage anxiety and distress and cope more effectively when faced with high stress or crisis situations. Some of the skills taught include relaxation, self-soothing, distraction, improving the moment, self-compassion, and radical acceptance.
In the Interpersonal Effectiveness module group members learn how to formulate and prioritize specific goals in interpersonal interactions. They are then coached in factors that increase effectiveness at achieving these goals. Participants will learn skills for expressing themselves assertively (vs. passively or aggressively). Group members learn a system for negotiating their wants and presenting their point of view to build strong relationships and self-respect.
Mindfulness skills are repeated in each module. Participants will be taught how to increase awareness of the present moment without judgment. Group members will participate in weekly mindfulness exercises to increase awareness of the present with the goal of increasing awareness of self and others. Mindfulness skills also focus on becoming more aware of mood state, mood triggers, and early warning signals so group members can make appropriate adjustments for relapse prevention.
For more information, please contact –
Dr. Jenifer Culver: (650) 468- 4010. j.culver@comcast.net. www.bipolartherapy.net