Running a DBT Skills Group

Prepare for the work of leading the group

You have the skills manual and a curriculum to teach. The next decisions concern delivery: how to open the meeting, review homework without losing the teaching task, and give participants time to practice. A useful session plan also needs room for questions, interruptions, and individual concerns.

A practical companion for session preparation

Running a DBT Skills Group helps trained clinicians turn selected dialectical behavior therapy skills into prepared teaching sessions. Across 16 chapters and a proposed 24-session route, it offers original facilitator scripts, illustrative two-hour agendas, and rehearsal activities for adult outpatient groups. The aim is specific: make the participant's practice task clear and prepare the language needed to support it.

The material covers orientation, co-leader responsibilities, and focused homework review, with session plans addressing mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Later chapters examine difficult group moments, online delivery, and the review of teaching between cohorts. Preparation tools help you record assignments and agree on follow-up responsibilities.

Teaching support with a defined purpose

The organizing idea is the teaching task: the action participants will have an opportunity to attempt. Hypothetical exchanges show how a facilitator might clarify an instruction, redirect a lengthy contribution, or offer feedback on a rehearsal. Online adaptations consider access to materials and practical participation arrangements. These are proposed delivery tools to examine within your own service, not a separately validated treatment protocol.

Who will find it useful

This book is for readers who lead adult DBT skills groups, co-facilitate an established program, supervise clinicians teaching skills, or prepare for group leadership under appropriate supervision. It assumes relevant DBT training and access to Linehan's skills manual and authorized participant materials.

Bring a clearer plan to the next meeting

Use this independent companion to prepare a whole session or rehearse the wording of a difficult teaching moment. It supports thoughtful preparation while preserving the role of clinical judgment, supervision, and the care arrangements your service provides.