Thirteen years ago, I joined a private clinical psychology practice that specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). At the time, I had a strong background in CBT but was only loosely acquainted with DBT. I was drawn to the underlying principles and skills associated with DBT and was excited by the idea of receiving DBT training.
Over the years DBT has become a big part of who I am as a psychologist, but also who I am in my personal life. I have felt truly thankful for what DBT has allowed me to contribute to the lives of my clients as well as my own life.
Given how deeply I appreciate DBT, one would think I would have been excited by the development of a certification process. The process allows clinicians to distinguish themselves to clients and colleagues by validating their depth of knowledge in this area. That is a great opportunity.
However, I was not thrilled! In fact, when I first heard the idea I was flooded with anxiety. This was even more true when several of us in the practice committed to the certification process. Honestly, I wanted to throw up!
At the time, my recognition that certification was an opportunity was overshadowed by the intensity of the process. The certification board wanted me to pass an exam, a case study and record sessions for review?! I felt like I had already jumped through so many hoops to complete my doctoral degree and achieve licensure. Surely that had to be enough.
Even beyond the frustration at the amount of work asked of me was my underlying fear. What if I didn’t pass?
What I came to realize was that my anxiety and the work-load were short-term fears and discomforts. Yet, the confirmation that I was prepared to deliver the highest level of DBT therapy to clients was a powerful and long-term reward.
In retrospect, the process consumed time and energy that was well spent. Studying for the exam helped me to reinforce my knowledge base. Yet completing the case study and session reviews had the most impact on my confidence as a clinician. It demonstrated to me that I could apply the concepts in a meaningful way.
I chose to become DBT certified because I believe it offers my clients security when trying to sort through the process of finding the clinician that is right for them. What I didn’t think about, but truly appreciate, is the security the process has given me in knowing that I am doing the best I can by my clients and in my personal experience of living life inspired by DBT.
