In this episode, the fourth in a series on autism and DBT, Charlie is again joined by Amara Brooke and Rachel Kraus, two DBT therapists who are autistic and who have subspecialties in working with autistic clients. Our focus here is entirely on the application and adaptation of DBT skills in the work with autistic individuals. Which skills work well as they are? Which skills require adaptation in order to work well with this population? Which skills can actually make things worse if you aren’t mindful of autistic features? Please rate, review, and write to me with comments and questions.

Charlie moderates a discussion between Amara Brook and Rachel Kraus, both of whom are DBT-informed therapists with subspecialties treating autistic and ADHD individuals, as they come of with ten things to consider when adapting DBT to autism. In the next episode after this one, the same guests will specifically address how to modify DBT skills in working with autistic clients.

Charlie talks further with Amara Brook about autism, neurodiversity, and DBT: how can DBT be adapted, not to target autism itself, but to help autistic folks succeed at their own life-worth-living goals; how can we apply DBT’s bio-social theory in understanding and treating autistic individuals; and what are the barriers for autistic individuals in becoming DBT therapists?

It seems that the world is paying more and more attention to autism in particular and neurodiversity in general. Beginning with this episode, Charlie talks with Amara Brook, Ph.D., about autism, neurodiversity, and ways of adapting DBT to help an autistic individual reach their life-worth living goals. Tune in for this three-episode special conversation, which will eventually lead to ten tips for adapting DBT therapy with autistic people, and then on to what is meant by the Universal Design for Learning.

In this podcast, Charlie and Nicole contrast DBT versus psychodynamic models for narcissistic patients. Charlie demonstrates how to talk with these patients about the diagnosis with compassion and clarity. Charlie demonstrates how to talk with these patients about the diagnosis with clarity and compassion, using a DBT model.

In this episode, Charlie and Nicole role play and then discuss a therapy session in which Charlie patiently sifts through the layers of defensive grandiosity and wounded pride that provoked his Narcissistic patient Taylor (played by Nicole) into a violent outburst at a recent wedding.