What does it really take to implement DBT across Europe?
On the 26th November 2025, British Isles DBT Training and European DBT Association hosted a webinar that brought together an extraordinary group of clinicians and leaders to share their experiences of making Dialectical Behaviour Therapy accessible across diverse health systems.
We would like to give a huge thank you to Dr Vivian Winkler, Dr Martin Zinkler, Dr Pavel Theiner, Dr Jan Hilbig and Professor Martin Bohus for their candour, practical wisdom, and commitment to improving care for people with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Across countries and clinical contexts, several common themes emerged:
✨ A shared motivation rooted in urgency
Teams were driven by the desperation of people living with BPD and the stark lack of reasonable, evidence-based treatment options. DBT often became the hopeful alternative when nothing else seemed to work.
🤝 The power of a cohesive, team-based approach
Successful implementation depended on teams who were aligned, supported, and willing to learn together. DBT thrives when the whole system buys in.
📘 Transparency through a manualised model
The structured, transparent nature of DBT made it easier to communicate the approach to colleagues, leaders, and funders, and to maintain fidelity in real-world settings.
🔊 Including people with lived experience
Bringing the voices and expertise of people with lived experience of BPD into programme design and delivery enriched services and strengthened trust.
🏘️ Shifting treatment into the community
Several speakers highlighted the potential of community-based DBT models to increase access, reduce hospital use, and provide support where people live.
💶 Finding creative funding solutions
From regional grants to cross-departmental collaborations, teams often had to search for unique funding sources to get programmes off the ground.
📜 Embedding DBT in national guidance
Where DBT is integrated into formal treatment guidelines, services gain stability, legitimacy, and long-term sustainability.
Watch the webinar above. We will also be having some more exciting webinars coming soon, so stay updated to find out when.