Level 1 — Introduction to DBT

Our Level 1 options are intended to help providers assess if DBT is right for their practice and their clients. The videos and courses in Level 1 introduce important components of the treatment and are appropriate for clinicians new to DBT. If you already know that you want to learn DBT, you may choose to start with Level 2 trainings.

DBT at a Glance: An Introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy

This 3-hour video is a brief overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It begins with a short Mindfulness exercise, and then describes the basics of the treatment. DBT experts, Shari Manning, PhD, and Tony DuBose, PsyD, use their extensive clinical and training experience to bring this introduction to life.

If you are a clinician new to DBT, it is highly recommended that you view this DVD prior to participating in any of our instructor-led trainings.

This content can be purchased as a DVD or as an online streaming video.

Introduction to DBT: Skillful Living

This workshop is an introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) intended for mental health professionals who wish to acquaint themselves with the treatment. The dialectical nature of DBT is explained via the balance between change-based technology (behavior therapy) with acceptance-based principals (validation). It highlights the structure of DBT and defines the modes and functions of comprehensive DBT. This workshop is appropriate for mental health professionals interested in learning about DBT at an introductory level. Methods of instruction include lecture, treatment demonstrations, and practice exercises to illustrate the principles and strategies of DBT.

Is DBT for You and Your Clients?

This workshop introduces health-care professionals to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and helps with decisions about whether DBT is the right fit. Clinicians working with patients who have multiple problems are often stymied by the complex clinical presentations and challenges that arise during treatment. These introductory two days will describe the theoretical and empirical foundations for DBT. It covers the basic principles of balancing change and acceptance strategies in standard DBT and discusses ways of applying these strategies and principles to your clients. Participants can expect to learn useful DBT skills; however, this workshop is not sufficient for acquiring the competence necessary to conduct comprehensive DBT. Suggestions for additional training and self-study will be provided. Methods of instruction include lecture and demonstrations of treatment.

This workshop is appropriate for mental health providers who are exploring whether learning DBT to a standard of clinical proficiency would benefit their own clinical skills and their clients suffering from complex disorders. It can also be useful for health care providers, outside of mental health, who are interested in determining whether DBT is appropriate for their patients.

Teaching methods include lecture and demonstration to illustrate the treatment strategies used in DBT.

View a one-hour preview of this content, featuring Tony DuBose, PsyD.