DBT Skills DEEP DIVE for Therapists

DBT Skills Deep Dive for Therapists

An Experiential, Practice-Focused Programme

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is one of the most impactful, evidence-based therapeutic approaches in contemporary practice. More than a set of techniques, DBT offers a practical framework that helps clients regulate emotions, tolerate distress, navigate relationships effectively, and re-engage with meaningful life roles.

The DBT Skills Deep Dive for Therapists is designed for therapists who want to move beyond theory and develop real-world confidence in applying DBT skills across a range of clinical contexts — including mental health, chronic illness, pain, vocational rehabilitation, and coaching.

This programme is grounded in the belief that skills are best learned through experience. When therapists experience DBT skills themselves, understanding deepens, confidence grows, and implementation becomes natural and effective.

A Different Way of Learning DBT

This programme is intentionally structured around experience first, theory second.

Core DBT theory is delivered via a self-paced online learning portal, consisting of short, focused video content that participants can engage with in their own time.

Live Zoom sessions are predominantly practical, offering:

• Guided skill practice
• Reflection and discussion
• Clinical application and case examples
• Support with integrating DBT skills into participants’ own therapeutic work

Participants also receive ready-to-use resources that can be implemented directly with clients in individual or group settings.

About the Programme

The DBT Skills Deep Dive for Therapists is a 12-week live Zoom programme designed to equip therapists with a comprehensive DBT skill set and the confidence to apply these skills meaningfully in practice.

Participants will develop skills in:

• Mindfulness – cultivating present-moment awareness to reduce stress, improve focus, and support emotional regulation
• Emotion Regulation – understanding emotional patterns and applying strategies to reduce vulnerability and emotional overwhelm
• Distress Tolerance – navigating crisis situations and intense emotional states without making things worse
• Interpersonal Effectiveness – strengthening communication, boundaries, and relationship effectiveness
• Chain Behaviour Analysis – identifying patterns, triggers, and intervention points to support behavioural change

Clinical examples demonstrate how DBT skills support functioning, participation in daily life, work roles, and overall quality of life.

Who Is This Programme For?

This programme is suitable for:

• Occupational therapists
• Psychologists
• Counsellors
• Social workers
• Coaches and allied health professionals

It is particularly beneficial for therapists who:

• Work in inpatient or outpatient settings
• Support clients with emotional dysregulation, trauma, chronic pain or illness, burnout, or adjustment difficulties
• Want practical, evidence-based tools they can use immediately
• Wish to expand their therapeutic toolkit while also building personal resilience

Participants often report that the skills are just as valuable in their own lives as they are in clinical practice.

What DBT Looks Like in Practice

In a typical session, a therapist may model DBT mindfulness skills to support a client who becomes overwhelmed during a challenging task. For example:

• Teaching grounding strategies when anxiety arises during planning or problem-solving
• Using emotion regulation skills to manage frustration, anger, or avoidance during therapy tasks
• Applying distress tolerance skills to help clients navigate high-stress situations without escalation

These skills help clients move from feeling ineffective and overwhelmed to feeling capable, resourced, and empowered.

Why a 12-Week Deep Dive?

The 12-week format allows for:

• Gradual, layered learning
• Repeated practice and reflection
• Integration into both professional and personal contexts
• Ongoing support, discussion, and refinement

This structure supports true skill integration, rather than surface-level knowledge.

Resources Included

Participants receive:

• Comprehensive notes
• Worksheets and handouts aligned with each skill
• Client-ready tools that can be used as-is
• Resources suitable for individual and group-based interventions

About the Facilitator

I qualified as an occupational therapist in 2000 and have over 20 years’ experience in mental health private practice. My work spans inpatient mental health settings, outpatient rehabilitation, and supporting clients returning to work after illness or injury.

I completed formal DBT training through the South African DBT Institute (2018–2019) and facilitated the DBT skills training component of the Institute’s comprehensive training programme from 2020–2021.

DBT has been instrumental in helping clients:

1. Become less reactive through increased grounding and awareness
2. Reduce the intensity of emotional responses by applying skills earlier
3. Shorten the duration of emotional and behavioural reactions through skillful intervention

DBT skills have also been invaluable in my own personal and professional life. As challenges evolve, these skills remain a vital part of my therapeutic toolkit — and one I am deeply committed to sharing with other therapists.