Courageous Conversations in Evidence Based Treatment

Using This New Protocol to Target Multiple High-Risk Behaviors in Multidiagnostic Eating Disorders

As part of its ongoing “Learn and Earn Over Lunch” education series, the Portland DBT Institute will feature CEBT Practice Leader Lucene Wisniewski, Ph.D., FAED and Anita Federici, Ph.D., FAED in a one-hour webinar from 3-4 pm (Eastern) on January 14, 2026 for an overview of the new MED-DBT protocol for treating multidiagnostic eating disorders.

The webinar is free, and runs from 3-4 pm (Eastern). Participants who complete full training will earn 1 CE hour. Partial credits will not be offered.

Course Description

Clinicians working with clients who have eating disorders alongside suicidality, self-injury, trauma, neurodiversity, or OCD conditions often find themselves unsure how to effectively manage the eating disorder within the broader clinical picture. Traditional eating disorder and DBT models tend to address these problems in isolation, leaving providers without a clear way to prioritize, sequence, or integrate care when multiple high-risk behaviors occur simultaneously.

Multidiagnostic Eating Disorder–Dialectical Behavior Therapy (MED-DBT) was developed to address these challenges. This 60-minute webinar will provide an overview of MED-DBT, including its rationale, structure, and stage-based approach to organizing treatment for high-risk and multi-layered ED presentations. Special attention will be given to the MED-DBT target hierarchy, a practical framework that helps clinicians prioritize behaviors, maintain therapeutic direction, and support collaboration when multiple problems compete for attention.

Drawing on over two decades of clinical work and program development, Drs. Anita Federici and Lucene Wisniewski will outline how MED-DBT supports real-world decision-making for clients who often fall through the cracks of standard systems of care.

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this event, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the rationale and structure of MED-DBT.
2. Explain how MED-DBT differs from standard ED and DBT models.
3. Identify the purpose and application of the MED-DBT target hierarchy.
4. Recognize how a stage-based structure enhances safety and collaboration.

About the Instructors

Lucene Wisniewski, PhD, FAED, is the founder and practice leader of the Cleveland-based Center for Evidence Based Treatment. She is a clinician, trainer, and researcher specializing in evidence-based treatments for eating and co-occurring disorders. An Adjunct Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University, she has delivered over 150 international trainings and published more than 40 papers. She is co-author of Treating Eating Disorders with DBT: The MED-DBT Protocol – to be released by Guilford Press this December.

Anita Federici, PhD, C.Psych, FAED, is a clinical psychologist and founder of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation, specializing in eating disorders, personality disorders, and trauma. An international trainer and consultant, she has delivered over 400 presentations on DBT and ED treatment and co-authored Treating Eating Disorders with DBT: The MED-DBT Protocol.