DBT Program Explained

If you ever:

worry about how to best support clients with impulsive behaviors and dysregulated emotions…
judge yourself or fear you lack knowledge and skill…
find that you are not recognized by your treatment team as the true professional you are (seen as merely fun entertainment)…
need skills to cope through difficult situations in your own life …
work in a DBT program but don’t quite know how to fit in as a music therapist...
are excited about DBT and want to learn more about the DBT skills and how to teach them through music therapy …
don’t work in a DBT program but seek solutions for those difficult clients…

Then this message is just for you.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), created by Dr. Marsha Linehan, is an effective evidence-based treatment model using skills training to “change behavioral, emotional, thinking, and interpersonal patterns associated with problems in living”. (Linehan 2015) Originally known for its effectiveness in working with patients with borderline personality disorder, DBT has now been shown to be beneficial for numerous populations and settings.

DBT Skills Training is one component of a DBT program, and this is the area that we music therapists can make our biggest contribution. Integrating the skills for mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness into your music therapy can support your patients/clients who are involved in a DBT program as well as those who are not.

DBT skills are useful in our own lives as well!

Being a music therapist on a DBT treatment team, you can add a new dimension to the way the clients learn, practice, and remember the skills.

Even if you are not part of DBT treatment team, knowing how to integrate DBT skills into your own practice can allow you to provide effective tools for mindful living, coping with stress, interpersonal interactions, and emotion regulation strategies for your clients.

Imagine ...

...being able to articulate to your treatment team using common (DBT) terminology and language, being perceived as a professional peer, and easily collaborating with team members in providing treatment.

Wouldn't it be great to have a repertoire of effective coping skills to pull out of a hat on a moment’s notice? To know you're providing an evidence based tried and true system you can adapt to your own clientele? An effective toolkit that works with clients with impulsive behaviors, disregulated emotions, lack of coping skills, and/or poor interpersonal skills?

My name is Deborah Spiegel MT-BC. I am recognized as a leading expert in the field of DBT Informed Music Therapy. I've spoken, presented workshops, and delivered trainings in music therapy and DBT skills nationwide since 2009. Director of The Spiegel Academy, author of Music Activities & More for Teaching DBT Skills and Enhancing Any Therapy, I am passionate about supporting music therapists in integratig DBT into their work to expand the reach of our profession into this arena. Since the time that I was first introduced to DBT in 2001, the amount of research on DBT and its effectiveness with various populations has exploded as has the popularity of its use. The need for trained music therapists in this field is growing.

Dr. Lauren Bonavitacola is a licensed clinical psychologist and coordinator of the trauma-focused treatment programs at Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants of Westchester and Manhattan. She works with adolescents, adults, couples, families, and schools. Dr. Bonavitacola has expertise and specialized training in the delivery of evidence-based treatments for anxiety, mood, substance use, eating, and personality disorders across the lifespan. She specializes in the implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and associated conditions, as well as CBT for anxiety and mood disorders, particularly Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adolescents and adults. Dr. Bonavitacola is highly experienced and is intensively trained in all aspects of DBT and will provide you with supervision and training. She is also an MT-BC.

"How can I fit into a DBT team as the music therapist?" Have you ever asked yourself that question? I sure did. "What is DBT? "Why would a music therapist who is already providing evidence based treatment have anything to do with using it?" I asked these too.

What most people do when facing a client with impulsive behaviors and disregulated emotions, possibly even working in a DBT program with no specific training, is to get a variety of books, spend hours looking for research and interventions and even more hours in trial and error music therapy sessions. But for most people, that's not efficient or effective.

My Challenge- I've Been There Myself

In 2001 I began working at the State Hospital here in Colorado on the adolescent unit, which was a DBT milieu. I had no clue at first what DBT was. I knew that what I was doing in my music therapy sessions was effective, well designed, and supporting my patients in reaching their treatment goals. But I didn’t know, at first, how to make this all fit into the structure of DBT...

I wished that there was a book and/or some training out there for music therapists in this arena but there wasn't back then...

... and I needed to figure it out since I worked in that environment and that was the model we were using.

Here's How I Solved It:

So... I sat in on the DBT skills training groups with the psychologist, attended DBT consultation groups, and attended training by Behavoral Tech (the official DBT organization who trains teams etc.) I learned the skills and all about DBT.

Soon I was asked to co- lead skills groups, and then to be skills group leader for my own groups, as we often had more patients than would fit into one group.

I found myself creating music interventions to teach the skills in my DBT groups, and then in my music therapy groups I always reinforced the DBT skills.

I also learned how to utilize many of the same music therapy interventions that I used before DBT, now knowing how to fit them into the structure of DBT.

I learned the common terminology to speak with my team, and now have a toolkit of DBT skills to help my clients with whatever comes up for them.

At my facility, I was amazed to see time and time again a teen arrive with agressive behaviors, and in short order learn enough of the DBT skills to be able to stop and say " Miss Deb, I'm noticing that I'm having an urge to punch that kid for looking at me weird so can I take a time out?"

This stuff really works!

Then I wrote a book and started teaching others...

After figuring it out over years of trial and error, honing what worked, I wrote a book called Music Activities & More forTeaching DBT Skills and Enhancing any Therapy (Authorhouse 2010).

This book is being modified in a new edition that will be published with Jessica Kingsley soon! It will include printable handouts and easy to follow activities presented for each skill. If you want to be on the wait list to be notified when it comes out, click here.

In 2011, I became a continuing education provider with the certification board (CBMT), and began offering live workshops on DBT and music therapy, traveling around the country and presenting nationwide. I trained the entire rehabilitation therapy department in the California State Hospital system at one point; music, art, dance, recreation, and occupational therapists in 8 hospitals learned how to use their discipline to support patients in DBT. In 2012 I started my first online version of the workshop and the seed for The Spiegel Academy was planted.

In 2016 I was asked if I could offer a program that would issue a certificate as a DBT Informed Music Therapist, to give people something to present to “the powers that be” demonstrating that a person has learned and demonstrated proficiency in being a DBT informed music therapist. We created an in-depth study program with supervision from Dr. Lauren Bonavitacola, a DBT psychologist and music therapist. Hence, the DBT Informed Music Therapy Program was born. We are moving into our fourth year.

Gain a complete and thorough study of DBT skills with music therapy applications

Learn an evidence based tried and true system that you can adapt to your own clientele

Have professional supervision as you implement it with your clients, able to apply the material and make it functional for music therapy

Become comfortable using the DBT terminology and collaborating with other clinicians

Be able to to communicate with related fields more effectively and plan groups in coordination with them within the structure of DBT

Gain the educational essentials to maintain high standards of excellence in your professional practice

Feel confident in your role as a DBT informed Music Therapist

Know what the skills are

Know how to create effective music therapy interventions within the DBT framework

Have a repertoire of coping skills to pull out of a hat on a moment’s notice to support your clients

Effectively create and implement MT interventions to support and reinforce the DBT skills the patients are learning

Be able to present other professionals and those in charge with a credential from the Spiegel Academy with the designation of DBT informed Music Therapist that demonstrates a working knowledge of DBT

"I indeed learned common language to use so that I am better able to communicate with other therapists who are working with the same clients, and also so that I can help the clients begin to understand a language they can use to better express their emotions to facilitate improved emotion regulation. I will be able to now directly implement DBT Skills & language into working 1:1 with clients, and also while working with other therapists at my facility who are trained in DBT. "

Diana Gross MT-BC

"Since taking the training from The Spiegel Academy, I developed a DBT skills group with the psychologist on my unit at the state hospital where we work together co-leading skills groups. The psychologist has stated that he notices a difference in the patients who attend the skills groups that are just with him versus the groups that include me, and he is more than convinced that music therapy makes a difference! We are planning our next round of groups together! I highly recommend this training. I found that this training helped me become confidant in using the language of DBT to enhance my clinical skills, and I would not have ventured into teaching skills groups without it."

Lindsey Landeck MT-BC

Having taken both the The Spiegel Academy's Introductory and Intensive DBT informed MT trainings, I've found them to be exciting and practical. By pairing the skills of the traditional DBT modules with Music Therapy interventions, I have been better able to meet my clients where they are at and provide skills for them to move to a better place. Music Therapy is able to provide a bridge for teaching skills to those hard-to-reach clients in creative ways. After working in health care for over 10 years, I am very excited to see the partnership of DBT skills and MT interventions emerge as what is sure to be a frontrunner in best practices of care. Both DBT and Music Therapy are established practices that complement one another well, moving practice to a new level. Kirsten Sorensen, MT-BC

DBT: Practical Life Skills Reinforced through Music Therapy

CMTE Credits: 10

Value: $250 (Included)

Date and Length: self-study recorded version of 2 day training to take on your own time. Complete this class first.

Description: Review the DBT Skills in the first Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder by Dr. Marsha Linehan and come away with lots of music therapy interventions.

(Alternative to this online class: Deborah can present a 2 day workshop where she travels to your location and presents for your group. Ask for details. )

DBT Skills Training ( Note** taken through Behavioral Tech's website)

CMTE Credits: 24

$199.50 paid directly through Behavioral Tech with our student discount (**Can substitute a Btech DBT skills training event of your choice.)

Date and Length:

Register with Behavioral Tech for the DBT Skills Training Class for 3 month access (or if you want more time, register for 6 month access for only $50 more). We will send you the info for receiving the student discount. This training supplements the in-depth DBT skills study class below. You will study the DBT skills manual (2015 edition), this skills training class, and meet with us online for monthly Q&A.

Note* This is the last year that this version of the DBT Skills Training will be available at Behavioral Tech, so we are fortunate to be squeezed in one more time.

Description: A study of the skills in the first Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder and how to lead a skills training groups

In-Depth DBT Skills Study with Music Therapy Applications

CMTE Credits 29

Value: $997 (Included)

Date and Length: 3 month intensive program. This portion of the training starts again in April 2019.

Description: A thorough study of all the skills (including new skills) in Dr. Marsha Linehan's second Skills Training Manual, with live online Q&A meetings to supplement the book and the DBT Skills Training you will take form Behavioral Tech. Dr. Bonivitacola supervises and answers questions.

DBT Informed MT Supervision

CMTE Credits: 29

Value: $997 (Included)

Description: After completing all of the above requirements, you will demonstrate a working knowledge of DBT Informed MT by applying it with your clients over the next six months. Spend at least 3 hours a month implementing with your clients and working on a case write up of DBT informed practices with a client of your choice. Participate in 6 monthly one-hour online supervision meetings to discuss your experience of putting it into practice. Dr. Bonivitacola supervises and is there to answer your questions.

DBT: Practical Life Skills Reinforced through Music Therapy- an overview of the skills in the first DBT manual with MT interventions 10 credits ( Vlue $250)

Music and Mindfulness In Clinical Applications - 8 credits ( Value $200)

In-Depth DBT Skills Study with Music Therapy Applications- diving deeply into all the material 29 credits (Value $997)

6 month Supervision- Lastly demonstrate a working knowledge of DBT Infomed MT by applying it with your clients. Attend 6 online supervision meetings and submit a case write up assignment 29 credits ( Value 997)

BONUS- You can attend our monthly online DBT consultation group for music therapists from now through April 2020 (Value $350+)

BONUS class Music Therapy Interventions Teaching Emotion Regulation Skills System (Adapted DBT) for Clients With Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors 28 credits . (Value $647)

Online Community (Value $1000)

Live online Q & A Support Monthy Meetings (Value $900)

Credential (Value Priceless)

You'll earn a total of 100+ CMTE credits

THE VALUE OF ALL OF THE ABOVE IS $5341

You can take each required class separately for $3,441

Take this entire program now for only $2497

or 10 easy payments of $275

to the Spiegel Academy

and a payment of just $199.50 to Behavioral Tech for their Skills Training Class

(There is no affiliation between The Spiegel Academy and Behavioral Tech)

Course Materials:(2 books) Not included

Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder

& DBT® Skills Training Manual, Second Edition

Hundreds of people like you have invested in our DBT Informed MT classes since 2011. We know that if you register for this entire program and apply yourself you will be thrilled with the results. If you find that this program doesn’t feel like a good fit for you, you have 48 hours after the first day of starting the first class to get 100% of your money back. After that time, you will be able to transfer to any other classes of your choice of the same credit value from our catalog. No hassle.

You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain!

Fill out an application and a fully refundable deposit of $275 to save your spot. We limit the number of participants to 15 so the experience is personal. Schedule a time on my calendar to talk with me. Together we will determine if it's a good fit for you to join the program. When accepted, your deposit will be applied to whichever payment method you select. You have nothing to lose. Lots to gain...

Get started right away and you will have more time to complete everything. You'll have more time in the DBT consultation group as well. Click the button below.

Music therapist...

Join the movement as we combine DBT skills with music therapy to support those we serve to build a life worth living!

Join - DBT Informed Music Therapy Program!

If you haven't watched the FREE introductory workshop yet, click here to learn:

What is DBT and how can knowing how to use it in your music therapy effectively support even your most challenging clients?

Who we are and why we are qualified to support you with this:

Maybe you're wondering...

When you Participate in the DBT Informed Music Therapy Program through The Spiegel Academy you will:

This DBT Informed Music Therapy Program Worked for These People, And It Will Work for You Too

Finally, Its Your Turn

Summary of What You'll Get:

Its Decision Time