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Trauma Training
Intro to DBT
Skills Training for the Attuned Trauma Therapist
Most therapists hear about DBT in grad school. Few leave with enough training to actually use it. That matters, because DBT is one of the most evidence-supported treatments we have for emotion dysregulation, self-harm, suicidal behavior, and borderline personality disorder, with growing research behind its use for substance use, eating disorders, and PTSD. It is not a single technique. It is a structured, skills-based framework built around four core modules. Each one gives clients something concrete and specific to draw on when emotions feel bigger than their capacity to manage them.
DBT is highly intervention-focused. It teaches four specific skill sets: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Each module is distinct, teachable, and grounded in decades of research.
In this live DBT training for trauma therapists, bestselling author and DBT expert Sheri Van Dijk will walk you through a practical, trauma-informed introduction to DBT. You'll learn how to adapt each of the four core modules for clients with complex trauma, attachment injuries, suicidality, self-harm, and chronic crisis, without needing a full DBT program to do it.
Get grounded in DBT, stay grounded with your clients, and leave with a clear, compassionate framework you can bring into your very next session.
Practical Skills
Practical Interventions You'll Learn
- Conduct a DBT behavioral chain analysis to pinpoint exactly what drives impulsivity, self-harm, avoidance, and emotional blowups, and intervene precisely instead of guessing.
- Turn chain analysis into a solution-focused treatment plan so every session has clear targets, skill insertion points, and measurable behavior change.
- Use the 6 levels of validation strategically to de-escalate high-intensity emotions without reinforcing stuckness, avoidance, or dysfunctional behaviors.
- Use irreverent and dialectical communication strategies to break rigid thinking, interrupt avoidance, and shift stuck therapeutic dynamics.
- Apply dialectical strategies to balance acceptance and change so clients feel deeply understood and actually move forward.
- Teach and integrate DBT core skill sets (mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness) to stabilize clients and reduce crisis-driven therapy.
What You Get
What's Waiting for You Inside This Training
Biosocial theory and DBT foundations
Build a clear understanding of DBT's structure, theory, and where it fits alongside trauma therapy.
The four DBT skills modules
Walk through Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness with a clinical lens.
Behavioral chain analysis
Pinpoint exactly what drives impulsivity, self-harm, avoidance, and emotional escalation, then intervene with precision.
Validation and dialectical strategies
Use the 6 levels of validation and dialectical communication to de-escalate without reinforcing stuckness.
Trauma-informed DBT adaptations
Adapt pacing, resourcing, and safety planning for clients with highly activated nervous systems.
Solution-focused treatment planning
Turn chain analysis into a clear treatment plan with measurable targets and skill insertion points.
Live training with on-demand access
Join Sheri live on June 5th, then return to the recording with lifetime on-demand access.
Free community membership
Join TTI's shame-free community of practitioners for ongoing conversations, support, and resources. No cost, no catch.
Meet Your Trainer
About Your Trainer
Sheri Van Dijk
MSW, RSW
Sheri Van Dijk is a psychotherapist, trainer, and bestselling author internationally recognized for her work integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy with trauma‑informed care. A registered social worker with over two decades of clinical experience, Sheri has worked extensively with clients living with borderline personality disorder, complex trauma, mood disorders, and chronic suicidality in both hospital and outpatient settings.
She is the author of multiple books on DBT, including accessible skills guides for clients and clinicians, and is known for her ability to translate DBT into clear, compassionate, real‑world interventions that therapists can use right away. Sheri’s teaching style is practical, grounded, and deeply respectful of the complexity clinicians hold in the room: high acuity, limited time, and clients whose nervous systems have learned that the world is not safe.
In this DBT training for trauma therapists, Sheri brings her experience as a frontline clinician, author, and trainer to help you feel more equipped, more regulated, and more confident using DBT skills with the clients who need them most.
Free Resource
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Take The Next Step
Ready to Begin?
Stop Guessing When Clients Escalate
When a client is dysregulated, self-harming, or stuck in crisis mode, you do not need a full DBT program to help. You need the four core modules, the chain analysis skills, and the validation strategies. This training gives you a practical, trauma-informed DBT framework you can bring into your next session.