Identifying and Targeting TBIs in DBT: Creating Operational Definitions With Patients
Key Points
- When identifying and targeting TIBs, DBT therapists do their part by defining the behavior in terms of their limits rather than the pathology of the patient.
- Collaborating with the patient by asking for help in creating operational definitions of TIB can be extremely helpful.
- As long as both are in agreement on what the behavior is, and when it is occurring, figurative language may be used to describe a TIB.
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Transcript
So how do you know whether you’re being overly rigid versus being negligently sloppy when defining therapy-interfering behaviors? I find that a few DBT practices actually assist me in preventing myself from going too far in either direction.
First, as with all DBT practices, wise mind is a great go-to skill. When you find yourself frustrated with a patient due to therapy-interfering behavior and you have come up with your operational definition, you will want to take a moment, step back and consult wise mind. Inquire within yourself whether you’re going too far in being concrete or whether you’re missing something by using too much shorthand. So when you use wise mind, you want to really inquire deeply as we say and be ready to hear the answer. I find that therapists tend to be overly scientific when they’re attempting to explain a behavior to another DBT colleague. In my opinion, we need to have some shorthand and we also need to be as scientific as possible. So that’s where wise mind comes in. And you ask yourself, am I being overly rigid or too loose with my definition?