Teaching DBT Skills 2026

This practical, one-day workshop is designed to help clinicians teach DBT skills more effectively, confidently, and strategically. Research consistently identifies skills training as a critical active component of DBT treatment, yet many clinicians rely heavily on handouts without a deeper understanding of why particular skills work, when to choose specific skills, or how to troubleshoot when a strategy is not effective. Grounded in the principles of adherent DBT, this training will deepen participants’ understanding of the function and mechanisms of DBT skills to support more dynamic, individualized, and responsive skills training. The workshop will emphasize practical application, troubleshooting, and creative, flexible approaches to skills training with adolescents, families, and adults. We will cover skills from all four primary modules (Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance), as well as the adolescent-specific module (Walking the Middle Path). This is intended for an intermediate audience (i.e., newer as well as experienced DBT clinicians) who have a foundational knowledge of DBT.