A Sample of Classroom Tools Used to Support Teaching of DBT Skills
DBT Skills in the Classroom: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills That Stick
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches practical skills for managing emotions, navigating conflict, and recovering from difficult moments. These are skills many students are expected to use every day but are rarely explicitly taught in schools.
For the students served by PEP, these skills are especially critical. Many have experienced trauma or chronic stress or are learning to cope with serious mental illness. Without intentional instruction and support, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness can feel overwhelming and often lead to school disruption, crisis responses, or disengagement from learning.
Over the past two years, PEP has integrated DBT skills into all middle and high school classrooms at PEP Chesnutt, PEP Hopewell, and PEP Willow Creek. The strategies have been helpful.
“The kids have been able to use the skills throughout their days,” says PEP Hopewell Therapist Kim Corrado, who is one of the champions of this initiative. “It makes sense in everyday life. It applies as much to me as it does the kids.”
Building Consistency Across the School Day
At PEP, DBT skills are not delivered as therapy. They are taught as a social-emotional curriculum that complements and strengthens the practices already in place across PEP schools.
To launch the initiative, middle and high school associate teacher-counselors across PEP Therapeutic Schools participated in a two-day DBT skills training kickoff. The material is intensive and rich, and PEP recognized early on the importance of supporting staff beyond initial training.
To support understanding and adoption, PEP holds consultation groups every four months. These sessions serve as a space for reflection, questions, and shared problem-solving, helping staff continue to build confidence and consistency in how DBT skills are taught and reinforced.
DBT skills are taught during structured lessons, but they do not stay confined to a single class period. Visual reminders of the skills are posted throughout classrooms, and staff regularly reference them during moments that matter, whether during anger management conversations or when a student is upset in the hallway.
In this way, DBT skills become part of the flow of the school day rather than a standalone lesson.
From Learning Skills to Using Them
According to Dennis Weber, associate teacher counselor at PEP Willow Creek, these skills are making a meaningful difference for students.
“There are many different types of skills, from accurately identifying emotions, understanding motivation, slowing down reactions, and learning how to navigate conflict in a realistic way,” Weber said.
He has seen students apply these skills to manage conflict appropriately in the classroom and has found it easier to verbally de-escalate situations by helping students use the skills on their own. He also said students have shared that they were able to handle conflicts with friends or family members without situations becoming physical because they remembered to use one or more of the DBT skills.
“I use the S.T.O.P. skill when I need to stop myself,” said one student, when asked if he finds the skills helpful.
That kind of awareness is important. When a student feels emotionally dysregulated, having the tools to take a step back makes a big difference. The DBT S.T.O.P. skill teaches students how to pause and respond thoughtfully:
- Stop: Literally stop moving, freeze, and do not act on impulse.
- Take a Step Back: Pause, take a breath, and distance yourself mentally or physically from the situation.
- Observe: Pay attention to what is happening inside you and around you without judgment.
- Proceed Mindfully: Act with awareness, considering your goals and the consequences of your actions rather than reacting blindly.
And while the S.T.O.P. skill was what sprung to the top of mind for this student, it is just one of dozens of skills students can draw on to help them navigate their emotions.
Building Life Skills
For students who have experienced trauma, lived through extreme stress, or are learning to manage serious mental illness, emotional regulation and healthy decision-making are not automatic skills. They are learned through repetition, consistency, and support.
DBT skills give PEP students a clear framework for understanding their emotions and responding to challenges in ways that move them forward. Over time, these skills help students pause, reflect, and choose differently, even in moments that once felt overwhelming.
By teaching DBT skills as a shared, school-wide skills curriculum, PEP is meeting students where they are and giving them tools that honor both their challenges and their potential. The result is not just improved behavior in the classroom, but greater confidence, self-awareness, and resilience that students can carry with them long after the school day ends.