Greece
About Us
In March 2010, the original team of four decided to travel to Seattle to participate in a BTech intensive training with Marsha Linehan. Unfortunately, around that time, a volcanic eruption in Iceland covered much of Europe in ash, causing major disruptions to European airspace. The team had to quickly develop alternative travel plans to reach Seattle—which they successfully did, relying on radical acceptance, problem-solving, and wise mind.
Upon returning to Greece, the team applied to the Psychotherapy Unit of the 1st Psychiatric Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens for permission to implement DBT as a treatment for clients with BPD. However, the professor in charge—an expert in psychoanalytic treatment for BPD—initially rejected the request, arguing that DBT was not a treatment in its own right but merely an assortment of behavioral techniques.
Despite the setback, the team persisted. As a compromise, DBT was eventually allowed to be practiced within the Eating Disorders Unit for clients with both BPD and eating disorders. It was a negotiation that required the use of DBT skills such as DEAR MAN, GIVE FAST, and radical acceptance. One could say it was a bumpy start—but a determined and hopeful one.
Local therapy programmes
1. The oldest DBT program has been operating since 2010 at the 1st Psychiatric Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Initially, it was part of the Eating Disorders Unit, but over the last years, it has been established as a separate service. It still retains its specialization in BPD clients suffering also from eating disorders
2. The second DBT program was established this year at the Psychiatric Hospital of Attica as an outpatient psychotherapy service. The two programs are connected through shared training and supervision activities.
3. The rest of the DBT teams are working in the private sector. Many of these teams were formed during the initial DBT training and are still active, as the team members gradually developed strong bonds of trust and camaraderie.
Members
The Greek Association for Behavioral Research was established in 1974 and was the first Greek organization to become a member of the European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapy (EABCT). In 2012, a separate DBT section was created, joined by members of the association who had been trained in DBT. Most of the section’s members are psychologists and psychiatrists. Fragiskos Gonidakis currently coordinates the section.