For Providers
Do you have clients who could use some skills to be
- More grounded in the moment?
- Regulate emotions?
- Tolerate distress?
- Assert themselves more skillfully with others?
What happens in a DBT Class and how is it different from other therapy groups?
DBT Skills group is not a process group.
In Process Groups the focus in usually on processing feelings between group members, which can be helpful in the right situation. When is comes to learning new skills, a focus on processing feelings can actually get in the way of learning. In DBT skills group the focus in on learning new skills and supporting clients in the use of those skills.
DBT Skills group is not a support group in the traditional sense.
Clients get lots of support and encouragement in learning the skills and practicing them in their lives. In DBT skills group you only briefly share details of your personal life and only as they relate to your practicing of the skills. Clients in our groups often appreciate this.
DBT Skills group is more like a class.
Joining a DBT Skills group is similar to taking a class...except without the pressure of tests, reading assignments, and grades! Skills group clients learn new skills each week, and their homework is to practice these new tools in their real life. Each week they give a brief recap of how this practice went during homework review.
The flow of DBT group.
Mindfulness Practice
Each session of DBT Skills group begins with a 5-10 minute Mindfulness practice. Learning to be present in the current moment (DBT's definition of mindfulness) is a foundational skill in DBT, and we practice it each week. How we practice mindfulness varies from week to week. Sometimes the practice may be more like meditation, other times it might be more interactive. Clients don't need any previous experience in mindfulness. All instructions are included with each practice.
Homework Review
Some participants get stressed out at the thought of homework because it brings up negative associations with school. Our facilitators understand that, and often even relate to it! In DBT Skills group we give you a framework of what questions to answer about your homework practice. The questions are short, and easy to answer. It's also helpful to remember that everyone else participating in the group was new once, and most of them will have been nervous too. The purpose of homework review is to give you an opportunity to share your skills use and also to provide motivation to practice during the week.
Break
About halfway through the 2 hour class we take a 10 minute break.
Learning a new skill(s)
The last portion of the class is dedication to learning new skill(s). The skills in DBT are broken down into the following 3 modules:
In Process Groups the focus in usually on processing feelings between group members, which can be helpful in the right situation. When is comes to learning new skills, a focus on processing feelings can actually get in the way of learning. In DBT skills group the focus in on learning new skills and supporting clients in the use of those skills.
DBT Skills group is not a support group in the traditional sense.
Clients get lots of support and encouragement in learning the skills and practicing them in their lives. In DBT skills group you only briefly share details of your personal life and only as they relate to your practicing of the skills. Clients in our groups often appreciate this.
DBT Skills group is more like a class.
Joining a DBT Skills group is similar to taking a class...except without the pressure of tests, reading assignments, and grades! Skills group clients learn new skills each week, and their homework is to practice these new tools in their real life. Each week they give a brief recap of how this practice went during homework review.
The flow of DBT group.
Mindfulness Practice
Each session of DBT Skills group begins with a 5-10 minute Mindfulness practice. Learning to be present in the current moment (DBT's definition of mindfulness) is a foundational skill in DBT, and we practice it each week. How we practice mindfulness varies from week to week. Sometimes the practice may be more like meditation, other times it might be more interactive. Clients don't need any previous experience in mindfulness. All instructions are included with each practice.
Homework Review
Some participants get stressed out at the thought of homework because it brings up negative associations with school. Our facilitators understand that, and often even relate to it! In DBT Skills group we give you a framework of what questions to answer about your homework practice. The questions are short, and easy to answer. It's also helpful to remember that everyone else participating in the group was new once, and most of them will have been nervous too. The purpose of homework review is to give you an opportunity to share your skills use and also to provide motivation to practice during the week.
Break
About halfway through the 2 hour class we take a 10 minute break.
Learning a new skill(s)
The last portion of the class is dedication to learning new skill(s). The skills in DBT are broken down into the following 3 modules:
- Distress Tolerance
- Emotion Regulation
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
-Skills group alone is not a treatment for suicidal urges or self-harming behaviors. In fact, we don't even talk about these behaviors during skills class. If you have a client who you feel needs treatment for suicidal urges or self-harm, and you don't feel qualified to treat this, we would recommend they be referred for Comprehensive DBT Therapy. Try emailing [email protected] to see if they know of anyone with openings for suicidal and self-harming clients. These openings are often hard to find.
-Skills class facilitator qualifications:
Having experienced facilitators makes a difference, and this is a priority for us. Each skills class has two facilitators, per the Linehan research model. At least one of the facilitators will have 3+ years experience leading DBT Skills classes. Often at least one of the facilitators will also be intensively trained in providing Comprehensive DBT therapy. Facilitator supervision is done by Tracy Kalloway, MA, LMHC who is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™.
-Skills group alone is not a treatment for suicidal urges or self-harming behaviors. In fact, we don't even talk about these behaviors during skills class. If you have a client who you feel needs treatment for suicidal urges or self-harm, and you don't feel qualified to treat this, we would recommend they be referred for Comprehensive DBT Therapy. Try emailing [email protected] to see if they know of anyone with openings for suicidal and self-harming clients. These openings are often hard to find.
-Skills class facilitator qualifications:
Having experienced facilitators makes a difference, and this is a priority for us. Each skills class has two facilitators, per the Linehan research model. At least one of the facilitators will have 3+ years experience leading DBT Skills classes. Often at least one of the facilitators will also be intensively trained in providing Comprehensive DBT therapy. Facilitator supervision is done by Tracy Kalloway, MA, LMHC who is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is DBT Skills class different than "DBT Therapy"?
DBT skills class is only one part of the full researched model of DBT Therapy. Because of poor product "branding" (nerdy researchers tend to not think about this) there is a lot of confusion about this. Many providers and clients believe that DBT Skills class *is* the full extent of DBT. In reality, skills classes are only a subset of DBT therapy. Here is an explanation that helps to explain this:
There are four components to Comprehensive DBT Therapy, and DBT Skills group is only one of those four components.
Comprehensive DBT Therapy consists of:
1. Weekly individual therapy with an intensively trained (80+ hours) DBT therapist. Clients fill out diary cards to track their
behavior and set goals to work toward.
2. Weekly DBT Skills Group
3. 24/7 Phone/text coaching to help clients use skills during stressful moments.
4. Individual Therapist attends weekly Team meeting with other intensively trained DBT Therapists for the purpose of support
and consultation.
How can I refer my client for Comprehensive DBT Therapy?
If you feel like your client would do better doing Comprehensive DBT, you can refer them to Wise Mind Therapy,
www.wisemindtherapy.com or anyone else who does Comprehensive DBT. Note: In Comprehensive DBT, the first four sessions
are used to orient clients to DBT, and to assess whether Comprehensive DBT can help them. During these first four sessions you
are encouraged to still see the client. If the client commits to Comprehensive DBT, then you will need to terminate treatment
with them at that time. If you would like to consult with a DBT therapist about whether Comprehensive DBT would be helpful for
your client, or to get consultation on how to talk to your client about the referral, contact [email protected] or someone
else who does Comprehensive DBT.
Do I need to stop seeing my client in order for them to attend DBT Skills group?
No. You can continue to work individually with your client while they attend DBT Skills group.
Do I have to know DBT skills in order for my client to attend the group?
I can be helpful, and it's not necessary for you to know DBT skills.
How does DBT Skills group differ from a therapy group?
DBT Skills group is much more like a class at school. Our goal is to teach the skills, and review how people are using them. While reporting on how they used the skills in the past week, participants share some brief personal information, if they want to. We don't encourage personal sharing and we don't say things to deepen emotion. We really focus on teaching the skills and getting participants to practice the skills. This class isn't a good fit for clients wanting to process experiences or emotions from their lives.
Is phone coaching provided to clients in Skills group?
No we do not provide phone coaching to clients who are taking the group.
How is DBT Skills class different than "DBT Therapy"?
DBT skills class is only one part of the full researched model of DBT Therapy. Because of poor product "branding" (nerdy researchers tend to not think about this) there is a lot of confusion about this. Many providers and clients believe that DBT Skills class *is* the full extent of DBT. In reality, skills classes are only a subset of DBT therapy. Here is an explanation that helps to explain this:
There are four components to Comprehensive DBT Therapy, and DBT Skills group is only one of those four components.
Comprehensive DBT Therapy consists of:
1. Weekly individual therapy with an intensively trained (80+ hours) DBT therapist. Clients fill out diary cards to track their
behavior and set goals to work toward.
2. Weekly DBT Skills Group
3. 24/7 Phone/text coaching to help clients use skills during stressful moments.
4. Individual Therapist attends weekly Team meeting with other intensively trained DBT Therapists for the purpose of support
and consultation.
How can I refer my client for Comprehensive DBT Therapy?
If you feel like your client would do better doing Comprehensive DBT, you can refer them to Wise Mind Therapy,
www.wisemindtherapy.com or anyone else who does Comprehensive DBT. Note: In Comprehensive DBT, the first four sessions
are used to orient clients to DBT, and to assess whether Comprehensive DBT can help them. During these first four sessions you
are encouraged to still see the client. If the client commits to Comprehensive DBT, then you will need to terminate treatment
with them at that time. If you would like to consult with a DBT therapist about whether Comprehensive DBT would be helpful for
your client, or to get consultation on how to talk to your client about the referral, contact [email protected] or someone
else who does Comprehensive DBT.
Do I need to stop seeing my client in order for them to attend DBT Skills group?
No. You can continue to work individually with your client while they attend DBT Skills group.
Do I have to know DBT skills in order for my client to attend the group?
I can be helpful, and it's not necessary for you to know DBT skills.
How does DBT Skills group differ from a therapy group?
DBT Skills group is much more like a class at school. Our goal is to teach the skills, and review how people are using them. While reporting on how they used the skills in the past week, participants share some brief personal information, if they want to. We don't encourage personal sharing and we don't say things to deepen emotion. We really focus on teaching the skills and getting participants to practice the skills. This class isn't a good fit for clients wanting to process experiences or emotions from their lives.
Is phone coaching provided to clients in Skills group?
No we do not provide phone coaching to clients who are taking the group.