Are you a therapist who wants the experience of being in a DBT skills group yourself? Are you curious about how the skills can help YOU?   Marielle and Ed are starting a new skills group designed specifically for therapists to learn the skills together in a supportive online environment. We are excited to offer this group.   For more information and to sign up visit www.dbtskillsfortherapists.com Resources DBT Skills Handouts and Worksheets Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

What DBT skill do you use when your emotion fits the facts? One option is to work on changing the facts. The skill of Problem Solving offers a structured framework to help you change situations that cause painful emotions.   Problem Solving begins, like many of the Emotion Regulation skills in DBT, by naming your emotion. Next, identify your goal in solving the problem and come up with a solution to meet your goal. Break the solution down into small steps. Finally, take action.   Check in with your Wise Mind when using this skill, because Emotion Mind may distort facts or obscure solutions. Practicing this skill can feel like a lot! This episode walks you through each part of this multi-layered skill.   For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed The “What” Skills of Mindfulness Check the Facts Opposite Action Resources DBT Skills Handouts and Worksheets Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today’s episode discusses the DBT skill of Willingness.   Willingness is one of the reality acceptance skills that we teach in Distress Tolerance. This skill can help you let go of fighting what is so you can do what’s needed in each situation - without dragging your feet or holding onto a grudge.   One way to understand Willingness is to think of its opposite: Willfulness. When Willfulness is present, you’re fighting reality, trying to control things, or being passive when action is needed. Your Willfulness might show up differently depending on the situation.   For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed Distress Tolerance Part 2 Racial Acceptance Turning the Mind Half-smile Willing Hands Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Once you have grasp of the DEAR MAN skill, you might find yourself getting stuck when you try to use it in difficult interactions. Maybe the other person pushes back, tries to change the subject, or refuses to engage fairly.   While we can’t force anyone to do anything, we can continue to use our skills to stay as effective as possible during heated moments.   For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed DEAR MAN Introduction to Distress Tolerance & the STOP skill The “What” Skills of Mindfulness The “How” Skills of Mindfulness Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Once you have a grasp of the change-oriented skills in DBT (such as Check the Facts, Opposite Action, and Problem Solving) it can be hard to figure out which one to use.   This episode walks you through deciding if and when to act on an unwanted emotion. For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed Check the Facts Mindfulness of Current Emotions Problem Solving Opposite Action Emotions Explained: Shame Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Shame is one of the most painful emotions we can experience.    This episode explores what shame is, when the emotion is useful (and when it’s not), and skills to help you cope when shame threatens to overwhelm you.   Shame is a social emotion that motivates us to repair transgressions that might result in us being excluded from a group we want (or need) to belong to. Many of us, though, experience a lot of unjustified shame, where we assume we will be rejected if parts of ourselves are revealed.   DBT Skills Discussed   Check the Facts For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today’s episode focuses on the emotion of fear. At its most fundamental, fear keeps us safe. It guides us to fight, flee, or freeze in the face of danger.   Often, though, fear can be chronic, manifesting as anxiety, worry, or tension even when we are safe. This episode helps you identify fear in all its manifestations and provides tools to help you cope with it. DBT Skills Discussed Build Mastery and Cope Ahead Check the Facts For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

In this episode, Marielle and Ed discuss the emotion of anger. In its most useful form, anger moves us to protect and defend ourselves and those we care about.   Many people, though, find anger frightening because they have witnessed destructive expressions of anger such as emotional or physical violence. This episode unpacks the emotion of anger so you can understand it in yourself and potentially in others.   Sometimes anger fits the facts, and sometimes faulty interpretations can intensify anger, making us believe that we are being treated unfairly or that things should be different than they are. Skills such as Observing and Describing Emotions, Paced Breathing, Check the Facts and Opposite Action can be particularly helpful in responding to anger effectively.   For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed Observing and Describing Emotions Check the Facts Opposite Action Paced Breathing Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

When we find ourselves getting caught in extremes, the DBT skill called Walking the Middle Path helps us re-calibrate.   Use this skill when you notice you are caught in binary thinking to find a way to move towards center. This episode explores common opposites:   Reasonable Mind vs. Emotion Mind Doing Mind vs. Being Mind Intense Desire of the Moment vs. Radical Acceptance of the Moment Self-denial vs. Self-indulgence   For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast   ​​DBT Skills Discussed   Wise Mind Radical Acceptance Check the Facts Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

This episode is an overview of the core Interpersonal Effectiveness skills in DBT, focusing on clarifying objectives, DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST.  There are a lot of acronyms in the Interpersonal Effectiveness module! Memorizing what each letter of the acronym stands for, especially DEAR MAN, can help you access the skill when you most need it. The best way to memorize the DEAR MAN script is to write it out again and again until you’ve mastered it. For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed DEAR MAN GIVE FAST Validation Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment. 

In Part 2 of How to Assert Yourself, Marielle and Ed discuss common interpersonal pitfalls in speaking up for yourself in relationships. Do you swallow your needs and then find they all come out in a rush of words and anger?   Vacillating between staying silent and then blowing up is common and hurts both your relationships and your self-respect. This episode offers lots of ideas to help you avoid these extremes.  It can be hardest to speak up in our closest relationships because that is where the stakes are the highest. Despite what our fears may say, speaking up actually can strengthen relationships if done skillfully. For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed DEAR MAN GIVE FAST Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Do you find it hard to speak up for yourself in relationships? If so, this 2-part series on how to assert yourself may help you understand why it can feel so hard to ask for things or say no in different types of relationships. In order to be able to assert yourself, you first need to know what you want and don’t want. Sometimes this is harder that it seems. If you’ve spent a lifetime minimizing or denying your needs, it may be hard to get in touch with what matters to you most.  Once you’ve identified your needs, you have to trust that your needs matter as much as everyone else’s. For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast DBT Skills Discussed Myths about Interpersonal Effectiveness Check the Facts Opposite Action Build Mastery DEAR MAN Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

In this episode, Marielle and Ed answer a listener's question about fears of abandonment when conflict arises in relationships. These fears go straight to the heart of old wounds for many people.  Often, worry that conflict will destroy a relationship is rooted in our earliest relationships with our caregivers. If that early care was inconsistent, absent, or punishing in some way, it will be hard to feel secure when conflict inevitably arises in adult relationships. With skill use and a lot of compassion, you can learn to walk yourself through this common fear.   For full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ DBT Skills Discussed Wise Mind Distress Tolerance Skills STOP Self-Soothing Radical Acceptance Check the Facts Opposite Action DEAR MAN GIVE Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

This episode is the 2nd part of an overview of the Emotion Regulation skills in DBT, focusing on skills that can help you be in Emotion Mind less often. You can find part 1 here.  The skills discussed in this episode may not have an immediate impact on how you’re feeling, but regular application of these skills over time builds emotional resilience and flexibility. DBT Skills Discussed Accumulating Positive Emotions in the Short-Term Accumulating Positive Emotions in the Long-Term Build Mastery Cope Ahead PLEASE Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

The Emotion Regulation skills in DBT offer lots of ways to help you identify and respond to emotions. Some of the Emotion Regulation skills focus on change, while others focus on acceptance. This toggling back and forth between acceptance and change is the primary dialectic we are continually balancing in DBT. This episode provides an overview of the Emotion Regulation skills as a whole, and takes a deep dive into change-oriented strategies such as Check the Facts, Opposite Action, and Problem Solving. For full show notes, visit our website. Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

This episode explores how to apply mindfulness skills to help you manage distressing thoughts using the DBT skill called Mindfulness of Current Thoughts. Thoughts can cause a lot of suffering. Often, thoughts about events are based on assumptions, judgments, or interpretations rather than on facts. The core of this skill is to notice thoughts as just thoughts, or sensations of the brain, rather than as fact or truth. This can help lower emotional distress and reactivity.  Mindfulness of Current Thoughts helps you change your relationship with your thoughts rather than changing the thoughts themselves. For more information, including the full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, Marielle interviews Elle Michel, LMFT, a therapist in Los Angeles who specializes in treating complex trauma. Elle uses a combination of modalities to treat trauma, including DBT, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Brainspotting.  This episode focuses on describing what happens in the nervous system after a traumatic event, and how to use DBT skills to cope with an activated brain and body.  For more information, including the full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, we take a deep dive into working with judgments.  Judgments about ourselves and others can increase emotional suffering and negatively impact relationships. Judgments are often assumptions, interpretations, or myths that we add to the facts. We then tend to mistake our judgments for facts.  This episode explores how to notice all of the subtle and often habitual ways judgments show up, as well as how to shift into a nonjudgmental stance. For more information, including the full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

The Distress Tolerance skills in DBT offer creative ways to get through challenging situations without making things worse.  In Part 2 of this overview of Distress Tolerance skills, we focus on acceptance skills. Both acceptance and change skills can help lower emotional distress so you can access your most wise, grounded self. Radical Acceptance, as well as skills that support Radical Acceptance, are covered in this episode. For more information, including the full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

The Distress Tolerance skills in DBT offer creative ways to get through challenging situations without making things worse. Today’s episode is Part 1 of an overview of Distress Tolerance as a whole, with a special focus on change-oriented skills. When emotional distress is high, there can be an intense desire to do something to make the distress stop. Very often, when we numb or distance ourselves from distressing emotions, we create new problems. The DBT skills discussed in today’s episode help you respond to hard emotions in ways that you won’t regret. These skills are also helpful when you need to get things done but you’re too overwhelmed to get started or think clearly. For more information, including the full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Do you find asking for things or saying no hard? If so, this episode is for you.  Marielle and Ed provide a framework for thinking about how strongly to make requests and how strongly to say no. For some people, making requests confidently is challenging and for others, it’s saying no that is hard. Sometimes it depends on the type of relationship. Perhaps you’re comfortable saying no with friends but not with family, or you can easily make requests at work but not of your significant other.  Whatever your exact challenges with saying no or asking for things are, this episode will help you weigh different factors so you can communicate your wants and needs with confidence. For more information, including the full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today’s episode is a response to a listener question about procrastinating making progress towards life goals. Marielle and Ed explore the emotions that underlie urges to put off doing what needs to get done. For some people, procrastination is a habitual response, no matter what the task. For other people, procrastination is a response to specific unpleasant tasks. Either way, procrastination often leads to feelings of shame and low self-worth.   Procrastination also can create secondary problems, meaning that not taking care of a task or problem often leads to new problems. Marielle and Ed discuss skills to help you change this common and challenging cycle. DBT Skills Discussed Opposite Action Check the Facts Mindfulness of Current Thoughts Self-soothing Build Mastery  Radical Acceptance For full show notes, visit our website. Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, Marielle interviews Greg Bodin, MFT, a therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area who practices Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT.  Greg specializes in anxiety, trauma, men’s sex issues, and is also a certified EMDR therapist.  ACT and DBT have a lot in common. One of the core tenets of ACT is learning to accept where your life is right now and committing to making changes so that your life reflects what matters to you. It’s both a therapy approach and a way of understanding how humans behave, how they get stuck, and how to get unstuck. For more, including full show notes, visit our website.  Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, Marielle and Ed discuss the D in DBT: Dialectics. Dialectics helps us remember that two seemingly opposing forces can both be true, change is the only constant, and that we are all connected.  When emotions are heightened, either/or thinking can get us stuck and limit our ability to think and creatively problem solve. Dialectics encourages us to move away from either/or thinking and towards both/and thinking. For example, you can love someone and be very upset with them. You can want to work hard and also want to take breaks. You can be serious and silly.  Dialectics also reminds us that change is happening all the time and that we can learn to work with change in ourselves and others rather than fighting against it. For full show notes, visit our website. DBT Skills Discussed Nonjudgmentalness Radical Acceptance Opposite Action Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

This episode is in response to a listener question about combining DBT skill use for difficult situations. We thought it was a great question to tackle in an episode. As your knowledge of DBT skills increases, you will likely find that using several different skills is often the most effective way to respond to challenging life situations. Another way of thinking about this is layering skills - using skills to reduce distress first and then using skills to solve problems or change situations. Marielle and Ed discuss the following scenarios where layered skill use can be helpful: You’re in an intense conflict with someone important to you. You’ve experienced loss and sadness is overtaking you.  You have a strong desire to avoid doing something that needs to get done. DBT Skills Discussed STOP TIP Distraction Radical Acceptance Check the Facts Opposite Action For more information including full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

In this episode of The Skillful Podcast, we answer two listener questions. The first question is from a listener who wants advice about balancing conflicting values to build a life worth living. The second question is about how to maintain your DBT skills practice once treatment has ended. Marielle and Ed discuss the issues these questions bring up and offer creative ways to think about the dilemmas presented. DBT Skills Discussed Accumulating Positive Emotions in the Long-Term Cope Ahead  For more information including full show notes, visit our website: https://bayareadbtcc.com/podcast/ Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

As we pass the year mark of pandemic life, many of us are exhausted and eager to get back to how things used to be. While there are positive developments with vaccination rates rising and case counts lowering in some parts of the world, the finish line is still far away. We need emotional stamina to stay the course and tolerate the limits on daily life that the pandemic imposes. In this episode, Marielle and Ed discuss lots of DBT skills that can help you do this. DBT Skills Discussed: Validation Mindfulness of Current Thoughts Mindfulness of Current Emotions Radical Acceptance Check the Facts Opposite Action Problem Solving Accumulating Positive Emotions To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

As we close out the year, new skills may be needed to help you get through a holiday season that’s unlike any other. Marielle and Ed discuss skills to help you cope and cultivate moments of joy. Isolation, a constant for many people these days, might be intensified during the holidays. Not being able to be around friends and family for the holidays is painful but for others, it may feel like a relief. Naming and making space for uncomfortable emotions like sadness, loss, fear, and frustration is important. Mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills can help you move through some of these emotions.  To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today’s episode explores ten common interpersonal myths. These myths can prevent us from being as effective in relationships as we like. Some of these myths are about how we “should” be or how others “should” be. Some of these myths are about conflict, or about whether it’s ok to assert our need or say no. Often we learn these myths from our families when we are young, and it’s helpful to recognize and name them so they don’t dictate what we do in relationships. In this episode, we unpack each myth: where they come from, and ways to challenge them so you can improve your interpersonal skills.  To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

This is a special episode geared towards our listeners in the United States. We have a big election approaching and if you struggle with your emotions, you may be more impacted by the uncertainty, polarization, and chaos in our country.  Compounding the political uncertainty are environmental threats like wildfires and hurricanes. On top of all this, we are still in a pandemic! No wonder Wise Mind may be harder to find.  Marielle and Ed discuss DBT skills to help you stay as grounded and effective in your life as possible this election season. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Do you find it hard to take care of yourself? The DBT skill of self-soothing is designed to help you tolerate distress, but it’s also helpful for regular self-care. This episode explores what exactly self-soothing is, when and how to use it, and common barriers to implementing it.   Many of us are going through a time of tremendous uncertainty and multiple losses in the face of a global pandemic. This can wear us down and bring up past traumas, both big and small.  Self-soothing is one way to help ease the suffering of this moment.    This episode explores how to use the senses to self-soothe: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. For some people, self-soothing brings up feelings of not deserving. If you weren’t treated with kindness and care as a child, it might be particularly hard to treat yourself with kindness and care as an adult.   To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, Marielle and Ed unpack what happens in the body and mind when an emotion occurs. There’s actually a lot going on!  If you are sensitive to or are confused by your emotions, it can be helpful to have an understanding of the different components that make up an emotional experience.  DBT’s Model for Describing Emotions breaks down emotions into ten parts: the prompting event, awareness, interpretation, vulnerability factors, biological changes, nervous system changes, expressions, actions, emotion names, and after-effects. This episode explores all these parts as well as skills to intervene at different points during the emotional experience. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today Marielle and Ed offer ways to use DBT skills to support emotional equilibrium during a time where systemic anti-black racism is being confronted and discussed in new and necessary ways.   This episode is not about how to be anti-racist. That’s beyond what we can provide. The resources below serve as a starting point to learn more. Rather, this episode focuses on skills to help you find your emotional footing during a time of national tumult around race. This work deeply aligns with our values as therapists. Racism is a mental health issue and its impact may be easy to dismiss if we aren’t a member of a targeted group.   We recognize that our lens as white therapists limits us and that there is a lot we may get wrong. In the spirit of DBT, we want to approach what’s hard, rather than avoid.   To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today Marielle and Ed answer listener questions.  The first question is from a listener in Sweden about how to cope with anger at others for not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously.  Question two is about how to use DEAR MAN to say no. The final question in this episode is about how to figure out when it’s time to leave a situation.  To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today’s show revisits Radical Acceptance in the face of a global pandemic. Marielle and Ed discuss how they are using this skill (or not using it!) during this time. Ed is using Radical Acceptance a lot lately, as he feels like it is often the only thing to do in this situation. Marielle shares her resistance to using Radical Acceptance during this time, and the ways she works with fear of strong emotions if she radically accepts what’s happening in the world. Unlike other more action-oriented skills in DBT, Radical Acceptance is more of a frame of mind, or a turning toward (rather than away from) what’s actually happening in any given moment.  When we can fully and deeply accept reality, painful emotions may arise. But, if we allow them to move through, often there is a sense of peace on the other side. Plus, it’s much harder to take skillful action toward change if we are denying the facts of what is happening. So much has changed in a few months and the future is uncertain. Loss of all kinds is happening around us and to us. Listen in to learn how the skill of Radical Acceptance can help. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, Marielle and Ed discuss skills to help you communicate with other people during a global pandemic where we are all facing new interpersonal challenges. We are connecting - or not connecting - with each other in very different ways now which can strain relationships. People living alone may feel isolated. People living with others may long for time alone. The demands of partners, children, and/or other family members may feel like too much.  Additionally, continual low-grade fear and uncertainty make it hard to be in Wise Mind and to know what you want and need. The DBT skills of DEAR MAN and GIVE can help. These skills provide structure for asking for what you need, saying no, or having your opinion taken seriously. Marielle and Ed revisit these skills and talk about relationships as a whole during this pandemic. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today, Marielle and Ed continue to discuss DBT skills to cope during a pandemic. We are all going through a collective trauma and need extra support. The DBT skill called Check The Facts is explored. We also explore the difficulty in using this skill during a time when things are rapidly changing and uncertain. Using Check the Facts coupled with Mindfulness may be helpful to remind yourself that that you are ok right in this moment. The importance of dialectics is also discussed to avoid getting stuck in either/or thinking and rigidity. Flexibility helps us respond to an ongoing highly stressful situation, rather than react.  Gentleness with ourselves and others is very important right now. We all need an extra dose of patience and self-compassion. Some people are pressuring themselves to do a lot during this time, not quite realizing what an emotionally exhausting time this is. Continual anxiety is draining. You are not going to be able to do it all and that’s ok. Watch out for berating yourself for not doing more. Marielle and Ed also review PLEASE skills that help you regulate your emotions and decrease your vulnerability to Emotion Mind by focusing on caring for your physical well-being. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

In today’s episode, Marielle and Ed explore skills to help you cope with your emotions as we collectively face a pandemic. Many of you may be feeling intense distress on a regular basis during these uncertain times. DBT offers lots of skills to help manage strong, painful emotions like fear and panic. Different ways of thinking about your distress levels are discussed, including the Subjective Units of Distress Scale and the Window of Tolerance.  Stopping regularly throughout your day to check in with your distress level and naming your emotion can be a helpful first step in helping you feel more centered. The Distress Tolerance skill of TIPP is discussed, as is Contributing and Self-Soothing. TIPP, in particular, is helpful in calming an over-activated nervous system. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today’s show covers the DBT skill called Pros and Cons. While most of us have already done informal pro and con lists in our heads when facing a tough decision, the DBT take on Pros and Cons is a little different.  Pros and Cons is great to use in anticipation of problem behaviors like avoiding, lashing out, shutting down, self-harm, or any kind of addictive behavior. Just make sure that you’re in your Wise Mind when you write out your Pros and Cons list, rather than Emotion Mind.  We review states of mind during this episode as well, in case you’re unfamiliar with the concepts of Wise Mind, Emotion Mind, and Reasonable Mind. We also review the SUDs scale, or Subjective Units of Distress, to help you become familiar with what different distress levels feel like for you. Pros and Cons is part of the Distress Tolerance module and all the skills in Distress Tolerance are designed to help you get through a crisis or stressful situation without making things worse. Towards the end of the podcast, Marielle guides Ed through a Pros and Cons list for procrastination. You might be surprised at what is discovered! To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

In today’s episode, Marielle and Ed discuss the emotion regulation skills of Build Mastery and Cope Ahead. These are future-oriented skills that involve some planning to carry out. Build Mastery is a way to strengthen your sense of competence by doing small, regular things that are challenging. Over time, this skill will help you stretch yourself and believe in your capability to accomplish hard things which in turn, will increase your emotional resiliency.  This skill also helps you avoid a common mistake when trying to learn a new skill or do something hard: setting your sights too high and then giving up in defeat. Instead, Build Mastery helps you make small, incremental changes that are stretch you out of your comfort zone but aren’t impossible. You’ll find that the skill of Build Mastery will help you increase your sense of self-worth, self-efficacy, and pride in what you can achieve.  Cope Ahead is a skill that walks you through a process of planning for stressful situations ahead of time. This is a good skill to use when you anticipate that you will be in a situation that will bring up strong painful emotions and/or you might feel like engaging in a behavior you are trying to stop. Part of why this skill can be so helpful is that it asks you to make a coping plan ahead of time, step by step, and then visualize coping well with the situation. To learn more about this podcast and get full show notes, go to www.bayareadbtcc.com Ask us a Question We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Today I’m talking with Dr. Kelsey Harper, a clinical psychologist and DBT therapist who works with trauma, PTSD, and chronic emotion dysregulation.  With over a decade of work spanning varying settings and clientele, Kelsey has established a private practice in Santa Monica and observed time and again, that many clients reported extensive histories of trauma leading them to seek therapy and healing in their adult lives.  With her own personal recovery as a survivor of sexual assault and experience working with the unique needs of survivors in their recovery journey, she built a new community called Warrior Reclamation to offer survivors support, connection, and skills for reclaiming their lives. Kelsey talks about her own experience of isolation and confusion following sexual assault and how this inspired her to create a space so others don’t have to go through this alone. Listen in as we discuss DBT skills, sitting with emotions and how to survive rape culture. To learn more about this podcast and full show notes, go to bayareadbtcc.com Ask Us a Question! We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

In today’s episode, we discuss your relationship with yourself, focusing on the skill of Loving-Kindness. When you are having a hard time, are you kind or harsh with yourself?  Do you berate yourself for real or perceived mistakes?   Do you try to motivate yourself with criticism?  These tactics tend to not work in the long-run and erode your sense of self.  What if you had permission to be gentle and compassionate with yourself? The DBT skill of Loving-Kindness meditation is based on the  Buddhist practice of Metta, which can help you cultivate a gentle, loving relationship with yourself. Although the roots of this skill lie in Buddhism, we offer a secular version of the practice here. To learn more about this podcast and full show notes, go to bayareadbtcc.com Ask Us a Question! We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Instead of making New Year’s resolutions this year, think about using the momentum of the new year to make changes in your life that are aligned with your values.  Often New Year’s resolutions come from a place of shame or deficiency, a place of trying to fix what’s “wrong” with you. What if you made changes in your life based on what’s most important to you rather than “fixing” what’s wrong? This is where values come in. The DBT skill called Accumulating Positive Emotions in the Long Term can help you experience more positive emotions more often by aligning your life with your values. In today’s episode, Marielle and Ed take a deep dive into the skill. Show Highlights Access your Wise Mind when assessing your values What’s actually important to you vs. what you think SHOULD be important Your values and priorities can shift as you go through different seasons in your life This skill outlines a step by step process to make your values a reality in your life Avoid avoiding  Pick one value to focus on at a time Identify a few goals related to this value  Bite-size action steps Take action!   Links & Resources DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition Ask Us a Question! We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here.  Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment. To learn more about DBT and therapy in general, read our blog.