Spotlight: Jacqueline Stratton

When asked, “What made you want to go for DBT-Linehan Board Certification?,” Jacqueline Stratton, MSW, LICSW and now DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician and Founder of MN DBT Providers Coalition LLC, said, “I thought it would be kinda cool,” and “Why not try something that would enhance my practice and take my skills to the next level?”

She had had some time to travel and the opportunity for certification arose. Shortly after she had applied to take the test her mother became ill and her father in law died.

Certification was one way for her to cope with these situations. Jacqueline was one of the original test takers in Philadelphia and recalled high anxiety with this step. She found that during the process of certification and deciding to learn how to pass the case formulation step, she became a better practitioner. She was able to think about clients, their life worth living goals, treatment targets and treating these targets with more clarity, precision, and compassion.

Recording herself and her sessions was initially quite aversive to her, and while using her own skills to manage this aversion, found a sense of increased accountability to DBT. She was more motivated to be sure that she was following DBT’s principles and protocols and felt she became a more effective DBT Therapist.

She also shared that it was exciting to record sessions and recording added to her relationships with clients, including more intimacy.

She would like to say a big “Thank you!” to Marsha Linehan, Suzanne Witterholt, and Bev Long.