Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training: Introduction

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training: Introduction is organized by Behavioral Tech Institute (BTECH) and will be held from Jun 11 - 12, 2026.

Training Description:
Purpose: This live instructor-led workshop provides a high level overview of the four DBT Skills modules and the programatic delivery of these skills. Skills training is one of multiple modes of treatment delivery in comprehensive DBT. This focus of this course is limited to the skills training mode.

Content: This introduction to DBT Skills Training introduces Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills: Core Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Participants learn about the function of skills training in DBT, the structure of a DBT skills training program, the goals and general content of each skills module, and the targets for DBT skills training.

Length & Schedule: This workshop contains 8 modules for a total of 12 instructor-led hours. The modules will be delivered over 2 days. Each module includes reading and homework tasks. Total participant time required for each of the modules (training segments) is approximately 2.5 – 3 hours

For Whom: This training is for mental health providers who intend to implement DBT skills training to fidelity. No prior knowledge of DBT is required.

Core Training Description:
Research indicates that DBT skills are a key mechanism of change for suicide attempts, non-suicidal self-injury, depression, and anger, and multiple randomized control trials have shown DBT skills to be effective for a variety of problems, including depression, emotion dysregulation, binge eating, and borderline personality disorder.

This introduction to DBT Skills Training introduces Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills: Core Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Participants learn about the function of skills training in DBT, the structure of a DBT skills training program, the goals and general content of each skills module, and the targets for DBT skills training. It also provides an overview of the manner in which DBT conceptualizes problems, as well as the behavior change, validation, and dialectical strategies used across all modes of the treatment. Clinical examples are used to illustrate specific skills training procedures. Video of roundtable discussions of DBT experts, and demonstrations of a skills training class are incorporated.The workshop is designed for all mental health professionals who want get a high level overview of the four DBT Skills modules and the programatic delivery of these skills. Prior knowledge of DBT is not required; however, learning will be enhanced if participants are familiar with Dr. Marsha Linehan’s 1993 text, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, and the 2015 DBT Skills Training Manual, Second Edition. Participants should have the latter available during the course.

This workshop is a precursor to the world of DBT skills training. Those who want to fully implement a DBT skills training program are invited to follow this course with the DBT Skills Training: Fundamentals, which provides in-depth training in acquisition, strengthening, and generalization procedures of DBT skills. DBT skills training is one of 4 modes of standard outpatient DBT. For those who want to implement a full DBT program we recommend completion of the comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Training.

Primary Objective:
As a result of this training participants will be able to describe the key elements of DBT skills training.

Learning Objectives:

1. Utilize evidence on DBT skills training to determine curriculum appropriate for treatment setting and population.
2. Describe the function of DBT skills training.
3. Identify the targets for DBT skills training.
4. Describe the four standard DBT skills modules.
5. Identify the strategies and procedures required for effective DBT skills training.
6. Define the roles of the leader and co-leader in DBT skills training.
7. Describe the dialectical nature of DBT skills.
8. Describe the dialectical nature of DBT skills training.
9. Identify what is valid in actions, cognitions, and emotions of patients.
10. Identify what is invalid in actions, cognitions, and emotions of patients.
11. Convey to patients what is valid in their actions, cognitions, and emotions.
12. Describe key concepts related to increasing desired behaviors and decreasing unwanted behaviors.
13. Describe strategies that can be used to pull new behaviors from clients.
14. Identify the goals of DBT Mindfulness skills.
15. Identify the contents of the DBT Mindfulness skills module.
16. Identify the goals of DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness skills.
17. Identify the contents of the DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness skills module.
18. Identify the goals of DBT Emotion Regulation skills.
19. Identify the contents of the DBT Emotion Regulation skills module.
20. Identify the goals of DBT Distress Tolerance skills.
21. Identify the contents of the DBT Distress Tolerance skills module.