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Maintaining Hope and Balance During Periods of Heightened Stress and Uncertainty: A DBT‑Aligned Framework for Clinicians and Clinical Practice

Wednesday, July 29th, 2026   2:00 PM EDT -5:00 PM EDT
Denise Bundick
$59.99 USD

Mental health clinicians are increasingly practicing in contexts marked by chronic stress, systemic strain, and pervasive uncertainty, placing them at elevated risk for emotional exhaustion, moral distress, and erosion of hope. This presentation offers a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)–aligned framework for understanding and responding to uncertainty, framing hope not as optimism or certainty but as sustained engagement in building a “life worth living” despite ambiguity. Balance is conceptualized as a dynamic process requiring ongoing attention to emotional vulnerability, boundaries, and effectiveness. The presentation normalizes clinician stress responses to uncertainty and introduces DBT-consistent strategies to support clinician sustainability, improved client outcomes, and ethical practice.

About the Presenter


Ms. Bundick is the co-owner/co-director of Falls Neuropsychology and Psychotherapy Associates, PLLC located in Raleigh, NC. She has over 30 years of experience providing psychotherapy services to a diverse client population in a variety of treatment settings. She is the author of “On The Spot Resilience Skills” and provides training in these skills to her clients and community, as well as to other professionals through Continuing Education Courses.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe how chronic stress and uncertainty impact clinician wellbeing, hope, and clinical effectiveness
  2. Apply DBT core principles (dialectics and Wise Mind) to support clinician balance and decision‑making
  3. Match DBT skill modules to client needs and treatment phase
  4. Demonstrate DBT‑informed coaching strategies to reduce suffering and increase effectiveness
  5. Develop a brief, skills‑based DBT “Hope Plan” to support generalization and values‑based action

Agenda:

Time

Segment

Slides/Section

Facilitator Moves (script cues)

Participant Activity

Materials

0:00–0:10

Welcome + psychological safety

Title / framing

Welcome. Name purpose + scope (clinician + client). Confidentiality: principles not identifiers. “Take what fits.” Quick poll: uncertainty 0–10.

Quick rating + brief share in pairs (30 sec each).

Slide, timer

0:10–0:20

Objectives + agenda preview

Learning goals

Review objectives. Invite: choose 1 clinician target + 1 client target for today.

Write targets on card; keep for closing.

Notecards/paper

0:20–0:40

DBT frame: Dialectics + Wise Mind

Dialectics/Wise Mind

Teach: acceptance AND change; Wise Mind integrates Emotion/Reasonable Mind. Offer 2 examples. Lead 60-sec Wise Mind breath.

1-min practice + “acceptance AND change” pair share.

Timer

0:40–1:00

Clinician stress + maintaining hope

Stressors/hope

Normalize clinician stress responses. Define hope as grounded engagement (not certainty). Introduce “micro-wins/life worth living moments.”

Triads: “What drains hope?” “What restores hope?” Share 2 themes.

Flip chart

1:00–1:15

Clinician balance skills (PLEASE + effectiveness)

PLEASE/boundaries

Teach PLEASE as vulnerability reduction; build mastery + pleasant events; boundaries as effectiveness. Prompt: “What’s one tiny repair?”

PLEASE check: circle most disrupted domain; write 1 repair action.

Handout (optional)



1:15–1:35

Transition: match skill to phase

Sequencing

Teach sequencing: stabilize (DT) → regulate (ER) → solve/connect (IE). Model a 60-sec “skill selection” dialogue.

Whole group: call out which module fits 2 quick scenarios.

Slides

1:35–1:55

Mindfulness module (client skills)

WHAT/HOW + Wise Mind

Teach Observe/Describe/Participate + Nonjudgmental/One-mindful/Effective. Demo coaching line: “Worry is here; return to one thing.”

Pairs: client stuck in “what ifs” + coach mindfulness. Switch roles halfway.

Cheat sheet

1:55–2:20

Distress Tolerance (crisis skills)

TIPP/STOP/RA/Pros-Cons

Clarify: DT is for crisis—not solving. Teach TIPP + STOP; introduce Pros/Cons + Radical Acceptance. Coach with specificity.

Small groups: match vignette to DT skill; write 3-line coaching script; brief share-out.

Vignettes

2:20–2:25

Reset / stretch

—

Lead 60-sec stretch + paced breathing. Re-anchor: “effective next step.”

Follow along

—

2:25–2:50

Emotion Regulation (change strategies)

Check the Facts/OA/PLEASE

Teach: Check the Facts; Opposite Action when emotion doesn’t fit facts; vulnerability reduction + mastery/positive experiences. Model a quick example.

Worksheet practice: identify emotion + urge → Check facts → pick OA step that is measurable.

Worksheet/cheat sheet

2:50–3:10

Interpersonal Effectiveness

DEAR MAN/GIVE/FAST

Frame hope via connection + self-respect. Teach DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST. Run short role-play instructions.

Pairs: DEAR MAN ask/say no. Rotate roles. Debrief phrases that worked.

Role-play prompt

3:10–3:25

Integration: DBT “Hope Plan”

Hope Plan

Introduce 3-part plan: 1 crisis skill + 1 regulation skill + 1 values/connection action. Add outcome check: reduce suffering / increase effectiveness.

Create: (a) clinician plan, (b) client plan. Share one tiny step.

Template

3:25–3:40

Implementation supports (team/supervision)

Sustainability

Discuss generalization: coach, troubleshoot, reinforce effort. Team norms: shared language; brief Wise Mind check-ins. Optional evidence snapshot.

Write 1 team-level change; quick round-robin shares.

Flip chart

3:40–3:00

Close + evaluation (last 5–10 min)

Closing / references

Return to target cards. Ask: “What will you do this week?” Post rating: hope 0–10, uncertainty distress 0–10. Thank group.

Commitment share (optional). Submit eval slips.

Eval slips

 


This workshop offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
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  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.