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Discover how DBT skills for mental wellness can help you build emotional resilience and improve overall well-being.

Welcome to our Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Skills Column, where we provide expert insights into the DBT framework implemented within our Camino a Casa programs. This column is dedicated to educating individuals on the transformative DBT techniques that support mental health, emotional wellness, and overall life satisfaction.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy designed to treat a wide range of psychological conditions, such as mood disorders, suicidal ideation, interpersonal conflicts, self-harm, depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, binge eating disorders, substance use, and personality disorders. Developed by renowned psychologist Marsha Linehan, DBT integrates cognitive restructuring with core principles like acceptance, mindfulness, and behavioral shaping to promote lasting change.

Over the next few months, our DBT Skills Column will provide an overview of the four essential domains that are foundational to DBT skill-building: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. These domains are key to improving emotional health and building the coping skills needed to navigate life’s challenges. After each overview, we will delve deeper into the specific DBT skills within that domain, providing a comprehensive understanding of each technique.

Our journey begins with Core Mindfulness Skills, which are central to DBT and rooted in Marsha Linehan’s original program. While variations of her approach exist, we will focus on the core mindfulness techniques as defined by Linehan.

The Six Core Mindfulness Skills in DBT:

1. Wise Mind: A state of mind that synthesizes Reasonable Mind (logic) and Emotional Mind (feeling) into Wise Mind (balanced decision-making). Using Wise Mind helps individuals make decisions based on both emotion and reason, promoting mental clarity.
2. What Skills: These are the foundational actions we take when practicing mindfulness, which include Observing, Describing, and Participating. “What skills” help individuals actively control their attention and focus.
3. How Skills: These refer to the way we practice mindfulness, encompassing Nonjudgmentally, One-Mindfully, and Effectively. “How skills” guide us in executing mindfulness techniques with clarity and purpose.

These skills take practice, but over time, they can significantly enhance emotional regulation, focus, and overall mental well-being.

Stay tuned over the next few months for more detailed discussions on how DBT can help individuals navigate emotional challenges, improve interpersonal relationships, and foster long-term mental health.

In our next column, we will dive deeper into the Core Mindfulness Skill of Wise Mind, exploring how to access this balanced state for improved decision-making and emotional regulation.

Shannon Calder, LMFT, PhD
Clinical Program Manager

Shannon Calder, Ph.D., LMFT, serves as Clinical Program Manager for Camino a Casa. An expert in mental health assessment, crisis intervention and clinical supervision, Shannon began her career in psychiatric hospitals and addiction treatment centers and joined Casa Pacifica in 2012 as a doctoral practicum student. Over the years, Shannon has held key roles at the agency including serving on the Crisis Intervention Response team and its commuity-based Wraparound program. Prior to Camino a Casa she served as Clinical Program Manager for Cliffside Malibu, overseeing the Sherman Oaks Outpatient adult program.

Shannon earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology and her MA in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.