DBT Skills Training
Training Programs (DBT + ACT)
Small, repeatable skills for real life. Learn at your pace with short lessons, scripts you can copy, and tiny wins to practise today.
Scope: Psychoeducation and peer support only — not therapy, diagnosis, or a crisis service. If you’re unsafe, use the crisis options at the bottom of this page.
Find your path
Filter by: All • Mindfulness • Distress Tolerance • Emotion Regulation •
Interpersonal Effectiveness • ADHD & Activation
Tags: Beginner • 4–6 weeks • Night tools • Scripts • Printable
Duration: Micro (7 days) • 4 weeks • 6 weeks
Format: Self-paced • Peer-led
Featured this month
Safety, Wise Mind & Instant Calming Skills
Get back to baseline fast (paced breathing, TIP basics, grounding) and decide from Wise Mind — not panic.
Format: Self-paced • Time: 10–15 min/day (7 days) • You’ll build: a 60-sec reset, a 2-min panic script, a pocket plan.
Why These Programs Work
DBT skills training helps people build emotional stability, confidence, and healthier relationships — whether or not you’re in therapy.
The approach blends mindfulness, behaviour science, and peer-based learning to help you:
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Calm your nervous system before reacting.
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Understand emotions instead of fearing them.
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Strengthen communication and boundaries.
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Create routines that stick, even with ADHD or burnout.
Consistent practice — even 10 minutes a day — is linked to reduced self-harm, fewer crises, and better daily functioning (Kliem et al., 2010; Barnicot & Crawford, 2019).
Program Options
Self-Paced Course
Who it’s for: You prefer private, flexible learning you can do anytime.
Modules include:
Mindfulness • STOP/TIPP + Crisis Plan • Emotion Regulation I (ABC PLEASE) • Emotion Regulation II (Opposite Action & Defusion) • Interpersonal Effectiveness (DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST)
What’s included:
Outcome: Confidence using DBT skills in everyday life.
Short videos + scripts + quick skill checks
Printable tools and worksheets
Optional Elara AI practice support
Guided 4–6 Week Programs
Each program focuses on one skill set or theme, blending psychoeducation with practice challenges and AI-supported reflection prompts.
Program | Duration | Focus | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Safety, Wise Mind & Instant Calming | 2 weeks | Learn to regulate your nervous system fast using TIPP, paced breathing, and grounding. | → Start |
Distress Tolerance & Crisis Survival | 4 weeks | STOP and TIPP to survive tough moments without self-sabotage. Create a simple, realistic Crisis Plan. | → Start |
Emotion Regulation: ABC PLEASE | 4 weeks | Build your emotional “floor” through body care, routine, and tracking patterns. | → Start |
Interpersonal Effectiveness | 4 weeks | Scripts for asking, saying no, and maintaining self-respect (DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST). | → Start |
Radical Acceptance & Letting Go | 4 weeks | Learn to stop fighting what you can’t change, while still acting on what matters. | → Start |
ADHD-Friendly Routines & Impulse Control | 3 weeks | Add structure that works with your brain, not against it. Focus hacks and impulse barriers that stick. | → Start |
Shame → Self-Compassion (DBT + ACT) | 3 weeks | Replace self-blame with self-compassion and values-based action. | → Start |
Urge Surfing & Harm Reduction | 3 weeks | Learn to ride urges safely and reduce risky behaviours over time. | → Start |
2am Spiral Kit | 2 weeks | Ground yourself when anxiety spikes at night — NSDR, “park-it” lists, and Elara-guided resets. | → Start |
Mindfulness Foundations | 4 weeks | Core DBT mindfulness — Observe, Describe, Participate — for more presence and less autopilo |
4 -Week Programs
Training Programs
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness Foundations: Observe, Describe, Participate + HOW
Train attention without judgment. Learn non-judgmentally, one-mindfully, effectively — in plain English.
Format: Self-paced • Time: 10–15 min/day (2 weeks) • Outcomes: fewer spirals, more presence.
Safety, Wise Mind & Instant Calming Skills
Grounding, 5-4-3-2-1, TIP basics, and a daily Wise-Mind check-in.
Format: Self-paced • Time: 7-day sprint • Outcomes: a reliable “start switch” under pressure.
DISTRESS TOLERANCE
Distress Tolerance & Crisis Survival (Without Self-Sabotage)
STOP, full TIP, ACCEPTS, safe self-soothing — ride the wave without making it worse.
Format: Peer-led or self-paced • Time: 4 weeks • Outcomes: a crisis plan you’ll actually use.
Radical Acceptance & Letting Go (When You Can’t Change It)
Turn the Mind, willingness, boundaries, tiny release rituals.
Format: 4 weeks • Outcomes: less “second-arrow” suffering, clearer next steps.
Urge Surfing & Harm Reduction
Waves model, Delay/Distance/Do-Instead, means safety, live pros/cons.
Format: 3 weeks • Outcomes: fewer snap decisions, safer environments.
The 2 AM Spiral Kit (Night Anxiety Protocol)
NSDR, box breathing, “park list,” Elara night scripts.
Format: 7 days • Outcomes: calmer nights, easier re-entry to sleep.
EMOTION REGULATION
ABC PLEASE & Emotion Tracking
Raise the emotional floor (sleep/food/movement/meds as prescribed), track patterns → tweaks.
Format: 4 weeks • Outcomes: steadier mood, predictable energy.
Opposite Action & Defusion (ER II)
Check the Facts → Opposite Action; name the story, act by values.
Format: 3 weeks • Outcomes: less avoidance, more value-aligned action.
Shame → Self-Compassion (DBT + ACT)
Neff’s model + values repairs; kind language that still holds standards.
Format: 3 weeks • Outcomes: lower self-attack, faster bounce-back.
DBT-INFORMED ADHD & BEHAVIOURAL ACTIVATION
ADHD-Friendly Routines & Impulse Control
1-3-5 timer, One-Thing focus, body-double cues, friction hacks; “pause before press send.”
Format: 3 weeks • Outcomes: reliable starts, fewer impulsive detours.
How it works
1. Learn small. 5–10 minute lessons, not lectures.
2. Practise fast. One micro-skill per day with a real-life prompt.
3. Make it yours. Printables + Elara drills = reps you’ll remember.
How it works
1. Learn small. 5–10 minute lessons, not lectures.
2. Practise fast. One micro-skill per day with a real-life prompt.
3. Make it yours. Printables + Elara drills = reps you’ll remember.
If you learn best with others, our workshops combine education, discussion, and practice.
Sessions are small, relaxed, and guided by peers trained in DBT-informed facilitation.
Workshops include:
Live Peer-Led Workshops (Optional Add-On)
Workshops are free to join (donations optional) and rotate monthly.
Each session includes time to reflect, ask questions, and connect with others who “get it.”
Boundaries & Communication Bootcamp
Self-Soothing & Grounding for Burnout
Emotion Regulation Reset
ADHD, Regulation & Relationships
The 10 Modules & How They Help
Safety, Wise Mind & Instant Calming
Reset your nervous system fast (paced breathing, cold exposure, grounding) and act from Wise Mind, not panic.
Distress Tolerance & Crisis Survival
Learn STOP + TIPP so you don’t make a hard moment worse. Build a simple Crisis Plan for when your brain blanks.
Emotion Regulation: ABC PLEASE & Tracking
Strengthen your emotional baseline through better sleep, nutrition, movement, and self-awareness.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Build communication scripts (DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST) that preserve your relationships and your self-respect.
Radical Acceptance & Letting Go
Stop fighting reality and learn to “turn the mind” toward your next best action.
Stop fighting reality and learn to “turn the mind” toward your next best action.
Micro-routines and environmental tweaks that make consistency easier.
Shame → Self-Compassion (DBT + ACT)
Move from “I’m broken” to “I’m human” using self-compassion and values repair.
Urge Surfing & Harm Reduction
Delay, distance, do-instead: how to reduce harm while building control.
2am Spiral Kit
End late-night anxiety cycles with grounding, journaling, and body-based resets.
Mindfulness Foundations
Learn the Observe–Describe–Participate cycle for steadier attention and emotional clarity
Tools & Downloads
Every module includes built-in links to your downloadable tools:
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DBT Flashcards Deck: Skill reminders in your pocket.
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DBT 30-Day Skills Workbook: One month of guided practice (fillable or printable).
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Crisis Plan Template: A step-by-step safety plan you can customise.
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Emotion Tracker: Daily log for identifying triggers and wins.
FAQs
No — this is psychoeducation and self-guided skills training. It complements therapy but does not replace it.
Yes, but it’s practical: short daily prompts like “Try one Opposite Action” or “Practise a DEAR MAN sentence.”
You’ll get replays and key notes via your dashboard. You can also use Elara to practise what you missed.
If you feel unsafe, contact emergency or crisis services. These programs are for learning and practice, not crisis management.
Yes — use shorter language: “Pause, Breathe, Choose.” Many families practise together.
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Safety & credits
Scope:Psychoeducation and peer support only — not therapy, diagnosis, or a crisis service
Australia: 000 • Lifeline 13 11 14 • Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467 • Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 • 13YARN 13 92 76 • Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 • 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Global: findahelpline.com
Author: Lloyd Taylor | DBT-informed Peer Recovery Worker and Founder, DBT Support Hub
Last updated: October 2025
References:
Linehan M.M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford.
Neacsiu A.D. et al. (2010). Efficacy of DBT for emotion dysregulation. Psychological Medicine, 40(2), 195–208.