Testing an Alliance-Focused Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Training for Borderline Personality Disorder

NCT07119541 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: e2024-091
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and effect sizes of two alliance-focused dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) training interventions to improve therapists' abilities to recognize and respond to alliance ruptures with clients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a 4-week training as usual (TAU), which include didactic training plus reflective practice (i.e., thinking about past actions to gain insight for future actions) or a 4-week didactic training plus deliberate practice training (i.e., setting individualized training goals, skills coaching, and opportunities for repeated practice with expert feedback). A pre-post design will be used to assess effect sizes for change in participants' abilities to recognize and respond to alliance ruptures. Therapist characteristics will be assessed to determine moderating effects on training outcome. Feasibility and acceptability of the training intervention will be assessed following the trainings.

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder; Emotion Dysregulation

Keywords

Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Therapeutic Alliance; Alliance Rupture and Repair; Alliance-Focused Training; Deliberate Practice

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Facilitative Interpersonal Skills Task (FIS)

  An 8-item video vignette task used to assess ability to respond effectively to challenging client interactions in therapy. Scores range from 56 to 280, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of facilitative interpersonal skills.

  Administered at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 4 weeks (post-intervention).

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Process Recognition Task (PRT)

  Administered at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 4 weeks (post-intervention).

• Jerusalem Facial Expressions of Emotion Task (JeFEE) - Short Version

  Administered at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 4 weeks (post-intervention).

• Comprehensive Intellectual Humility Scale (CIHS)

  Administered at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 4 weeks (post-intervention).

• Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)

  Administered at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 4 weeks (post-intervention).

• Emotional Reactivity Scale (ERS)

  Administered at baseline (pre-intervention) and at 4 weeks (post-intervention).

Study Arms (2)

Alliance-Focused DBT Training plus Deliberate Practice

EXPERIMENTAL

Immediately receives 4 sessions of a psychotherapy training intervention to improve ability to recognize and respond to alliance ruptures in treatments with clients with borderline personality disorder.

Behavioral: Alliance-Focused Dialectical Behavior Therapy plus Deliberate Practice

Alliance-Focused Training plus Reflective Practice (Training as Usual)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Immediately receives 4 sessions of a psychotherapy training intervention to improve ability to recognize and respond to alliance ruptures in treatments with clients with borderline personality disorder.

Behavioral: Alliance-Focused Dialectical Behavior Therapy plus Reflective Practice

Interventions

Alliance-Focused Dialectical Behavior Therapy plus Deliberate Practice BEHAVIORAL

The alliance-focused DBT training plus deliberate practice is a 4-session weekly intervention delivered to therapists working with individuals with borderline personality disorder or emotion dysregulation. This training intervention involves a didactic component, video analysis, and case-based learning. Deliberate practice methods (e.g., setting individualized training goals, skills coaching, feedback, and opportunities for repeated practice) will be integrated both within and between training sessions.

Alliance-Focused DBT Training plus Deliberate Practice

Alliance-Focused Dialectical Behavior Therapy plus Reflective Practice BEHAVIORAL

The alliance-focused DBT training plus reflective practice is a 4-session weekly intervention delivered to therapists working with individuals with borderline personality disorder or emotion dysregulation. Trainings will involve a didactic component, video analysis, and case-based learning. Reflective practice methods (i.e., thinking about past experiences to gain insight for future actions) will be integrated both within and between training sessions.

Alliance-Focused Training plus Reflective Practice (Training as Usual)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must be over the age of 18
• Participants must be regulated health professionals in Canada who are authorized to deliver psychotherapy as part of their scope of practice, or a students in training under the supervision of a regulated health professional in Canada authorized to deliver psychotherapy as part of their scope of practice.
• Participants must currently be providing psychotherapy
• Participants must have access to reliable internet service
• Participants must indicate that they are available to attend the training intervention times provided
• Participants must agree to participate in the 4 weekly training intervention
• Participants must state willingness to comply with study procedures (i.e., to complete pre- and post-intervention research evaluations, and between training homework exercises.

You may not qualify if:

• None

Sponsors & Collaborators

• York University: lead

Study Sites (1)

York University

Toronto, Ontario, M3J1P3, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personality Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Tali Boritz, Ph.D.

  York University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Experimental: Alliance focused DBT training plus deliberate practice Active Control: Alliance focused DBT training plus reflective practice

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2025
• First Posted: August 13, 2025
• Study Start: August 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 28, 2025
• Study Completion: January 31, 2026
• Last Updated: December 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)