Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Neurodivergent Individuals (April 13, 2027)

Presented by: Dr. Elliot Gavin Keenan

In recent years, growing attention has been paid to DBT for neurodivergent (and, especially, autistic) clients. Some have said that DBT is neurodiversity-affirming (Strang & Sakdalan, 2025) and I would argue in favor of this idea, particularly due to the collaborative nature of the client-clinician relationship in DBT. This traces back to the inventor of DBT, Dr. Marsha Linehan, who developed the intervention not only to bring hope to those who were suffering with chronic suicidality and emotion dysregulation, but to heal something in herself — for, years ago, she too was hospitalized and deemed without redemption (Linehan 2021). This webinar will explore the presenter’s personal experience with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) as a neurodivergent person with autism, ADHD, and bipolar 1, followed by an overview of DBT, including who it was developed for and the philosophy that guides the intervention and recommended adaptations. The session will highlight the collaborative nature of DBT in supporting clients in building a life worth living and will explore DBT skills that may be particularly applicable to neurodivergent clients. Topics will include mindfulness, with suggested exercises to try, as well as distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. 

You'll learn to:

1. Participants will understand the theoretical underpinnings of DBT and treat clients as collaborators in their everyday practice.
2. Participants will be equipped with a menu of skills they can teach to clients to ameliorate emotion dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, alexithymia, etc.
3. Participants will understand how small tweaks in the DBT curriculum can make it more accessible for neurodivergent clients and, in order to bridge the gap, participants will feel empowered to tinker with the skills until they find a presentation that works for each individual client. 

Client age groups
Adolescents (13-19 years old) Adults (20-64 years old) Older adults (65+ years old)

Areas of practice
Applicable to all areas of practice (e.g., burnout, group therapy, occupational models) Mental health Neurodiversity Psychotherapy

Levels
Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)
Language English

Presenter

Dr. Elliot Gavin Keenan

Dr. Elliot Gavin Keenan is a psychologist who studies the lived experience of mental health conditions. He was diagnosed with autism at age 6 and diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 17. Thus, he mainly studies autism and bipolar disorder, leveraging his personal insights into these conditions to generate testable hypotheses and novel studies that advance the field. Dr. Keenan got his BA in psychology from Stony Brook University and earned his PhD in Human Development & Psychology from UCLA. He is also an author of creative nonfiction (memoir and lyric essay). See more information at elliotgavin.carrd.co or check out Dr. Keenan’s blog at bipolarcoaster.blog