DBT Skills for Educators™

About the Course

DBT Skills for Educators™ is a live, online two-day training designed specifically for teachers, tutors, school leaders, and education staff working with learners in Upper KS2 and beyond. Drawing from the evidence-based framework of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and its adaptation for schools (DBT STEPS-A), this course equips educators with practical, classroom-ready strategies to support student wellbeing, ensuring you’re well-prepared to meet the needs of your students.

You’ll learn how to introduce DBT’s four core skill areas, mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, in ways that fit naturally into everyday educational settings. The course focuses on both universal delivery (whole-class or year-group) and targeted interventions for students who need additional support.

Beyond student outcomes, the training also provides tools to reduce teacher stress and increase confidence in managing challenging situations, contributing to a calmer and more compassionate learning environment.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the principles of DBT and how they can be adapted to education settings.
• Teach and model the four DBT skills (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness) in age-appropriate ways.
• Apply universal approaches to embed DBT skills across classrooms and school culture.
• Identify students who may benefit from targeted DBT interventions and deliver them effectively.
• Support student resilience, focus, and peer relationships through practical strategies.
• Use DBT skills personally to manage stress and respond to classroom challenges with confidence, empowering you to take control of your own wellbeing and create a more positive learning environment.

Who Will Benefit?

This training is suitable for all education professionals who want to support student mental health and resilience, including:

• Secondary school teachers (Key Stage 3 & 4)
• Primary school teachers (Upper Key Stage 2)
• Sixth form and college tutors
• University lecturers and student support staff
• SENCOs, pastoral leads, and safeguarding staff
• School and college leaders aiming to build a wellbeing-focused culture
• Members of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) working in education settings

Click here to access our editorial with further insights on this course.

Research Studies

Universal delivery of a dialectical behaviour therapy skills programme (DBT STEPS-A) for adolescents in a mainstream school: feasibility study.

By Stephanie E. Hastings, Michaela A. Swales, J. Carl Hughes, Katy Jones & Richard P. Hastings. Read article here.