DBT Skills Training Series
for Young Adults

Do you want to learn more effective strategies to manage stress, emotions, relationships, and yourself? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills training is a class to learn skills to improve one’s ability to cope with daily stress and life. It is not group therapy.

This series is for individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 who are out of high school and may be in college, working, or in transition.

This DBT Skills Training program is set up for participants to join by series.

Fall Series: September - November/December, covering Mindfulness & Emotion Regulation.

Winter-Spring Series: January - April and covers Mindfulness & Interpersonal Effectiveness.

Summer Series: June - August covers Mindfulness & Distress tolerance.

It is recommended that individuals complete every module twice to formally graduate the program. Individuals can join per series. Completion of all the modules do not have to occur in order and completion is voluntary. Some sign up for a specific series depending on personal goals.

Skills training is not therapy and does not replace individual therapy. Participants are expected to obtain and maintain individual therapy to participate in DBT skills training and permit contact with their therapist. In this role, the skills trainer is not providing therapy nor defined as any participant's therapist. Therapy is a separate service.

Suggestions for obtaining a therapist:

Therapists who formally provide DBT (DBT individual therapy, skills coaching, and are a member of a consultation team) are ideal; although hard to comeby.
Therapists trained in the DBT skills are strongly suggested to help implement the DBT skills being taught.
And any therapist who will maintain clinical support is sufficient to attend.

Course Details

Logistics:

The course is on Tuesday nights from 6:30-8pm on the following dates:

January 17, 24, 31
February 7. 14. 21. 28
March 7. 14. 21. 28
April 4

*If any of these dates are canceled, an additional date will be added on the end (April 11th). Otherwise, the last session will be April 4th. Rates are set for 12 sessions.

Sessions will be conducted online through Zoom.

Payment options:

Pay in full at a one-time payment of $630.

Or, if preferred to utilize one of the two payment plans:

1) Down payment of $220 is required to secure a spot in the series. Other two payments of $220 occur the beginning of February and March. Payments are processed automatically with a credit card on file.

2. Down payment of $250 is required to secure a spot in the series followed by $75/week for 6 weeks. The 6 weekly payments are processed automatically with a credit card on file.

Payment is non-refundable regardless of attendance. You are purchasing the course not each individual class.

"Superbills" for insurance reimbursement can be provided upon request for sessions attended only. Insurance only pays for attended sessions. Despite this insurance restriction, there are no refunds for missed sessions.

Once the series starts, no one new can join, no exceptions.

What people are saying about learning DBT Skills:

“I can manage my distress much more effectively. These skills are essential when my emotions and stress are high."
“I have learned so many new skills which has helped me handle many situations more effectively.”
“I have a better understanding about my emotions and feel more capable and how to regulate them.”
"I have a greater understanding about how to manage myself when communicating with others.”
“Using my DBT skills on a regular basis has definitely improved my relationships.”
“I use DBT skills each day and have found I am more confident in myself to handle things that come my way.”

The class can fill fast so last-minute inquiries often can't be accepted.

Prior to attending this skills training series, potential attendees must

have a therapist in place who will maintain providing this service during the entire series
ensure the therapist of other provider will communicate with any staff associated with skills training series
authorize communication with necessary treatment providers
complete the provided necessary paperwork by the day prior to intake
participate in an individual intake meeting*
pay for the course or provide a down payment

Obtain the Marsha Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets (2015) by the first meeting (this can be found on Guilford or Amazon for approximately $30-35)
and be ready to attend starting on the first day

The intake meeting is one-hour and costs $175, to be prepaid by credit card. This meeting is to ensure this DBT skills training series is the right match for the participant. It is nonrefundable regardless of decision by either the participant or the skills trainer.

Payments and attendance:

The payment for the intake or skills training series are non-refundable. Attendees are paying for the series, not each session.
For those participating in the payment plan, attendees are responsible for the balance even if the attendee drops out for any reason.
Attendees who miss sessions can continue; however, if they miss 4 in a row, they are officially discharged from the program with no refund.
If attendees drop out of therapy, they will be discharged from the program with no refund.

DBT coaching sessions:

To support attendees who miss classes, this program includes weekly “skills coaching” meetings with a trained graduate student. Attendees can also utilize these meetings for assistance completing the practice assignments, practice the skills, and individualize how to apply the skills to their life in specific situations. This is not therapy nor has an additional fee.

Questions? See FAQs below.

I am ready to sign up!

What people are saying about DBT Skills training online:

“It’s convenient. I don’t have to worry about getting to the skills training location.”
“I can participate in skills training then immediately continue with my routine."
“It is surprisingly comfortable; more so than I thought it’d be.”

Frequently Asked Questions:

What if I can't attend the first day, can I still attend?
1. No. This class sets the foundation for the rest of the series.
What if I don't like it? Can I quit?
1. Yes. This class is entirely voluntary; however, you will be expected to pay in full for the class.
Do I have to be on camera? What if I am uncomfortable?
1. Yes, you must have your camera on as it is expected for everyone.
2. It can be uncomfortable for others when your screen is off.
3. You can choose to hide "self-view" so you don't have to look at yourself.
What do I do if I no longer want to do individual therapy?
1. Keep doing it!
2. Talk to your therapist about your issue with therapy. Issues can arise between the therapist and client from time-to-time.
3. Stay in therapy until you find a new therapist as they are hard to come by.
4. Stay in therapy until the end of the DBT skills series so you can finish.
5. If you drop out of therapy, you drop out of skills training.
What if I had a bad day and am too upset to come?
1. This is a perfect reason to come as the group is full of people who understand! And, isn't this why you joined?
2. You are expected to come anyways. You can obtain coaching from your therapist, coleader, or skills trainer to identify skills to help you get through group.
3. Missing skills will not help!
4. Coleaders are part of DBT to support individuals during group when:
  1. Emotions get to be too much
  2. When participants need skills coaching to manage staying in group
  3. When participants get lost in the material.
What do I do if I miss a session?
1. You can schedule a 1:1 session with a coleader to review the skill you missed.
2. You can read the email about what was taught and review the materials independently.
3. You can still do the practice, ask the coleader questions if you have trouble, and ask about your difficulty practicing in the next session.
4. You will get an email about what was taught and the homework practice.
Can I get my money back?
1. No, this class is nonrefundable.
  1. You are purchasing the class.
  2. You have purchased a spot that another may have wanted.
  3. You cannot give up your spot to someone else.
Can I use my phone?
1. If you have to. Turn off your notifications and place your phone on Do Not Disturb.
2. Computers are preferred for a few reasons:
  1. To see and respond to chats sent by the coleaders.
  2. So you can see everyone and are more part of the group.
I live in a dorm. I don't have my own space. What do I do?
1. You can negotiate to have the room to yourself for Tuesdays from 6:30-8.
2. You can find a study room on campus (often libraries).
3. You can borrow a friend's room for the time.
Can I participate without my camera?
1. Although we have times we may not think we look our best, we all keep cameras on.
2. You can use the "hide self view" feature so you only look at others and not yourself.
3. Seeing each other creates a stronger group and if only some have cameras on, it feels uncomfortable.
4. People do turn cameras off for short periods of time - e.g. those lovely moments of sneezing or coughing, quick trips to the bathroom, when needing to get up to get a pen and the movement might be disruptive, etc.
Can I participate if I have headphones in and someone is in the room?
1. No. You need to be alone. Headphones are helpful to reduce distraction for you, reduce noise pollution to the group, and reduce the possibility that those outside of the room may her others in the group.
Can I participate from my car?
1. Yes as long as no one else can see others in the group or hear others in the group.
2. No one can be in your car with you.
3. Please have whatever you need to be comfortable.
4. Be sure you have a safe space to park as you can be vulnerable sitting in your car for long periods of time.
Do I have homework?
1. Yes, your "homework" is to practice the skills you learn. There are worksheets to guide you in your practice and track your practice.
2. The more you practice, the better mastery you obtain.
3. Although this is a "class" and there are practice worksheets, your worksheets are not graded.
Do I have to share my homework?
1. Yes, that is how the skills trainer coaches you on accuracy and help build your effectiveness.
2. No, sharing is voluntary and sometimes your practice may be private.
Do I have to participate in the skills coaching program?
1. No, it is voluntary.
2. However, there is no added fee.
3. These sessions can be beneficial to individualize your practice to more private situations or if your therapist is not trained in DBT.
Once I am in class, do I have to do an intake for the next group?
1. No, you only have to do this once.
Once I am in the class, could I get bumped from the next class?
1. All current members get priority.
2. Current members need to commit before it is opened to outside individuals. Once the group is full, current members may not obtain a spot.
How can I be sure I can continue with DBT once the series ends?
1. You inform the skills trainer that you plan to attend and how you want to pay.
2. The skills trainer charges your card and the spot is yours!
3. However, if the group didn't seem to be a match, you may be informed to seek services elsewhere. It isn't fair or ethical to keep providing services to you that is not effective.
What if I take a break from the next series, can I come back in the future?
1. Yes! Life happens and young adults have a lot of changes in their lives.
2. To return, simply email the skills trainer, express desire to participate, complete and update your paperwork, and if there is room, pay for your spot! There is no need to do an intake.
3. If the group didn't seem to be a match, you may be informed to seek services elsewhere. It isn't fair or ethical to keep providing services to you that is not effective.
4. If it has been a few years, you may be asked to complete an intake again.
Any other questions?
1. Create a list for your intake meeting.
2. Send a list of questions by email by clicking the button below.
  1. You may be told your questions are part of the intake and to schedule an appointment.

DBT Skills Training Series for Young Adults

Course Details

What people are saying about learning DBT Skills:

Questions? See FAQs below.

What people are saying about DBT Skills training online:

DBT Skills Training Series
for Young Adults