Exploring DBT clinicians’ experiences of team consultation meetings: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Introduction: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) has a strong evidence base supporting its efficacy in the treatment of individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). However, there is a noticeable dearth of research focusing on particular components of the therapy; including DBT team consultation meetings. The present study aimed to explore DBT clinicians’ experiences of these weekly consultation meetings. Method: The researcher interviewed eleven DBT clinicians from three different consult teams. All clinicians had at least one year experience of consult meetings and attended them regularly. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to explore clinicians’ subjective experiences of consultation meetings. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Results: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was employed and revealed a number of superordinate and subordinate themes in the interview data. The superordinate themes included ‘Knowledge Acquisition’, ‘Regulation of the Self’, ‘Team Processes’, and ‘Motivation and Consistency’. Discussion: The research project succeeded in addressing a number of gaps in the DBT literature; providing a greater insight into clinicians’ experiences of team consultation meetings and the benefits and challenges associated with them. The results of the study are discussed in relation to the DBT literature and a number of recommendations for applied settings are presented. Limitations and strengths of the study are also discussed and suggestions for future studies are presented.