Individualized DBT Skills Training

Sometimes insight alone isn't enough.

You may understand why you react the way you do, yet still struggle to manage overwhelming emotions, navigate difficult relationships, tolerate distress, or respond effectively during life's most challenging moments. DBT Skills Training is designed to bridge that gap by providing practical, evidence-based skills you can use in everyday life.

Whether you're looking to strengthen skills you've learned in therapy, complement your work with another therapist, or develop healthier ways of responding to life's challenges, individualized DBT Skills Training provides a structured and supportive environment for learning and practicing these powerful skills.

Sessions are provided virtually through a secure telehealth platform. Insurance and private-pay options are available.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan. While comprehensive DBT is a specialized treatment program that includes individual therapy, skills groups, phone coaching, and a consultation team, many individuals benefit from learning DBT skills on their own or alongside their existing therapy.

This service focuses specifically on teaching the core DBT skills that help people respond more effectively to life's challenges. Together, we'll learn, practice, and apply these skills to situations you're currently facing, allowing you to build confidence through real-world experience.

This service focuses exclusively on individualized DBT skills training and is not a comprehensive DBT program.

Mindfulness

Learn how to become more present, aware, and intentional rather than operating on autopilot. Mindfulness provides the foundation for every other DBT skill by helping you notice thoughts, emotions, and experiences without becoming overwhelmed by them.

Distress Tolerance

Develop healthier ways of coping with painful emotions and crisis situations without making things worse. These skills help you navigate life's most difficult moments while reducing impulsive or ineffective behaviors.

Emotion Regulation

Gain a deeper understanding of your emotions and learn practical strategies for reducing emotional vulnerability, increasing positive experiences, and responding more effectively to intense feelings.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Strengthen your ability to communicate clearly, establish healthy boundaries, ask for what you need, and maintain relationships while respecting both yourself and others.

DBT Skills Training can be helpful for individuals who experience:

• Intense or rapidly changing emotions
• Anxiety and chronic stress
• Difficulty managing conflict
• Relationship challenges
• People-pleasing or difficulty setting boundaries
• Perfectionism
• Impulsivity
• Emotional sensitivity
• Difficulty coping with distress
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• ADHD-related emotion regulation challenges
• Anyone looking to strengthen practical coping skills

Learning DBT is about much more than reading through a workbook or memorizing skills. It's about understanding when to use each skill, how to adapt it to your unique circumstances, and how to practice it consistently enough that it becomes a natural way of responding to life's challenges.

For more than two decades, I've had the privilege of teaching DBT in a variety of settings—including outpatient, community, residential, and organizational environments. As a Board Certified DBT clinician, I've provided DBT therapy, supervised clinicians, developed DBT programs, trained multidisciplinary teams, and taught DBT skills to both clients and behavioral health professionals. Those experiences have given me a deep appreciation for both the science behind DBT and the real-world challenges of putting the skills into practice.

My teaching style is warm, collaborative, and practical. I believe people learn best when they understand not only what a skill is, but why it works and how to use it in their own lives. Rather than simply moving through a curriculum, we'll slow down when needed, apply skills to situations you're facing right now, troubleshoot obstacles together, and celebrate your progress along the way.

Whether you're learning DBT for the first time or returning to strengthen skills you've used before, my goal is to help you develop confidence in your ability to respond to life's challenges with greater awareness, flexibility, and effectiveness. Ultimately, I want these skills to become something you naturally rely on—not just techniques you remember during times of crisis.

Individualized DBT Skills Training is designed for individuals who want to learn and strengthen practical DBT skills in a structured, one-on-one setting. While these sessions can be a valuable complement to ongoing psychotherapy or a way to reinforce previously learned skills, they are not a substitute for comprehensive DBT or a higher level of mental health care when clinically indicated.

If you are experiencing active suicidal thoughts with intent or plan, frequent self-injury, or are in need of intensive crisis support, this service is not appropriate as a stand-alone treatment. In these situations, I recommend working with a provider or program that offers comprehensive DBT or another level of care that includes crisis management and more intensive clinical support.

Additionally, this service does not include between-session phone or text coaching. Our work together takes place during scheduled sessions, where we'll focus on learning, practicing, and applying DBT skills to the challenges you're facing. If you require ongoing between-session coaching as part of your treatment, comprehensive DBT may be a more appropriate option.

If you're unsure whether Individual DBT Skills Training is the right fit for your needs, I'm happy to discuss your goals and help determine whether this service—or another level of care—would best support you.

DBT Skills Training may be appropriate whether you are currently working with another therapist or simply looking to strengthen your coping skills.

For some individuals, these sessions serve as a complement to ongoing psychotherapy by providing structured skills instruction. For others, they offer an opportunity to revisit and reinforce skills learned through previous DBT treatment.

While these sessions include supportive discussion and practical application, they are designed specifically for learning and strengthening DBT skills rather than providing comprehensive psychotherapy.

Beginning therapy is a meaningful step, and finding the right therapist is an important part of that journey.

If my approach resonates with you, I'd be honored to support you as we work together toward greater understanding, resilience, and meaningful change.