Your Complete Guide to The Spiegel Academy’s DBT Informed Music Therapy Training Program
Curriculum • Schedule • CMTE Credits • Investment

As you get ready to take the next step toward becoming a DBT Informed Music Therapist, this page gives you everything you need to plan your journey with confidence.

Inside, you’ll find a full breakdown of the curriculum, important training dates, how your CMTE credits are earned, and the investment options available to you.

Consider this your roadmap to joining a select group of clinicians making a measurable impact through music therapy and DBT.

Part 1: Foundations

Complete These Two Self-Study Courses

Before Orientation

Get a confident start with following self-study courses. You'll want to complete them before October 20, 2025. These courses give you the foundational DBT knowledge you’ll build on during the live training.

Course #1

DBT: Practical Life Skills Reinforced through Music Therapy

with Deborah Spiegel MT-BC and Lindsey Landeck MT-BC

Value $250 (Included ) 

  • A music therapist's view of the skills studied in the first edition of Marsha Linehan's DBT Skills training manual.
  • Get many MT interventions from the self-study webinar to teach and reinforce DBT skills that you can use with your clients right away.
  • Begin to learn the language of DBT so you can communicate better with a DBT team
  • 10 credits

Course #2

Music and Mindfulness in Clinical Applications​

 with Katie Down MT-BC

Value $200 (Included)

Mindfulness is at the core of DBT and every other DBT skill is connected to it. Mindfulness experiences are used at the start of each DBT group and individual session, each consultation group meeting, everything. Mindfulness is about being aware of what is going on inside your thoughts, emotions, and body, as well as outside in your environment. It can help us to take a step back from impulsivity and build the wisdom to choose effective outcomes.

This self-study class will give you many ways to utilize music to establish mindfulness to create self awareness, manage symptoms, and regulate emotions and behaviors.

  • Create self awareness and manage symptoms with techniques you'll learn in this self-study webinar.
  • 8 credits

Part 2:

In-Depth DBT Skills Study with Music Therapy Applications and Supervision

In this part of the training, you will do a deep dive into studying the DBT skills, and will get supervision while implementing what you learn into your practice.

October 20, 2025 - March 30, 2026

The first 2 Monday nights of each month you'll meet with Suzanne Makary MT-BC for skills training (for 90 minutes at 5pm Pacific, 6 Mountain, 7 Central, 8 Eastern)

  • Explore deeply all the DBT material, starting with the 2nd edition DBT Skills Training Manual so you really understand each skill.
  • Experience a DBT Skills Study Group yourself as a participant and learn how to lead your own DBT skills groups.
  • Practice using DBT skills in your own life and become a role model for those around you.

The 3rd Monday you'll meet with Cait Carter MT-BC and Kim Johnson LMHC, MT-BC for supervision (for 60 minutes at 5pm Pacific, 6 Mountain, 7 Central, 8 Eastern)

  • Receive supervision as you apply the DBT material into your music therapy with your clients so you can get your questions answered and learn how to apply the skills in your particular setting.

The last Monday of each month you'll meet with Bailey Hinz MA, MT-BC, for DBT music therapy consultation group. (for 60 minutes at 4pm Pacific, 5 Mountain, 6 Central, 7 Eastern)

  • Brainstorm with other DBT music therapists to solve issues and answer questions
  • Personal and professional growth

Part 3:

Implementation & Support

Now that you know the skills, it's time to plan, create, & execute to take your skills to the next level.

April 6, 2026 -Sept 29, 2026

The first 2 Monday nights of each month you'll meet with Cait Carter MT-BC for scenarios to solve with DBT skills and MT on the spot to facilitate utilizing what they have learned and putting it into practice. (for 60 minutes at 4pm Pacific, 5 Mountain, 6 Central, 7 Eastern)

  • Learn new ideas and strategies as you brainstorm with your group
  • Have a repertoire of coping skills to pull out of a hat on a moment’s notice to support your clients  
  • Leave with a working knowledge of DBT Informed MT to enhance your professional skills.

The 3rd Monday of each month you'll meet with Suzanne Makary MT-BC and Kim Johnson LMHC, MT-BC for supervision (for 60 minutes at 4pm Pacific, 5 Mountain, 6 Central, 7 Eastern)

  • Get support in learning to use DBT informed MT to solve specific issues with your particular clients.

  • Receive supervision as you apply the DBT material into your music therapy sessions with your clients

  • Complete a final assignment, which is a case study using DBT informed music therapy practices with a client (or clients) of your choice. This will wrap up all that you have learned and demonstrate your competency as a DBT informed music therapist.
  • Learn about the other aspects of DBT beyond skills training, such as diary cards, chain analysis, etc. so that you can implement these aspects in your workplace and be familiar with what other disciplines are doing in a DBT program.

  • 100 CMTE credits

The last Monday of each month you'll meet with Bailey Hinz MA, MT-BC, for DBT music therapy consultation group. (for 60 minutes at 4pm Pacific, 5 Mountain, 6 Central, 7 Eastern)

  • Brainstorm with other DBT music therapists to solve issues and answer questions
  • Personal and professional growth
Apply Now 

Finale: DBT Credential

Upon completion of all of the above, you'll receive a credential endorsing you as a DBT Informed Music Therapist, recognizing your Skills

(Value Priceless) 

  • Professional development and uplevel to your career
  • Affirms completion of all requirements
  • Endorses you as a DBT Informed Music Therapist
Apply Now 

(A $4,900+ Total Value)

Special Bonuses

  • FREE Ethics Class – Satisfy your recertification ethics requirement while earning all 100 CMTEs from the program. (Exclusive to those enrolling during your discovery call)

  • Early Bird Bonus – Enroll before Sept 22, 2025 and receive Merging DBT Mindfulness and Music, a ready-to-use six-week program template with 25+ music interventions, assessments, and treatment plans.

Bonuses Included in Your Enrollment

  • DBT Music Therapy Resource Hub – One year of instant access to ready-made DBT-informed music therapy session plans, saving you hours of prep time.

  • Understanding Neurodiversity & Modified DBT Techniques –to help you adapt DBT for neurodivergent clients.

  • Two Tickets to Virtual DBT Music Therapy Retreat – Learn from other DBT-informed music therapists and gain strategies for diverse client populations.

  • Online Community & Intervention Debriefs – Get real-time feedback from faculty and peers, share successes, troubleshoot challenges, and continuously improve your DBT-informed practice.

Summary of What You Get

Your DBT Informed Music Therapy Training Program Includes:

  • 100 CMTE credits through a comprehensive, year-long training
  • Self-study DBT & mindfulness courses for a confident start
  • Weekly live training, case applications, and supervision with DBT-informed MT faculty
  • Implementation support so you can apply skills right away
  • A full year of mentoring, peer collaboration, and faculty feedback
  • Proven music-based DBT interventions for client engagement and retention

PLUS BONUSES

  • Ethics class (meets recertification requirement)
  • Mindfulness 6-week program template with interventions & assessments
  • 1-year DBT Music Therapy Resource Hub membership
  • Neurodiversity & modified DBT techniques training
  • 2 tickets to virtual DBT MT retreat
  • Online community forum & intervention debriefs

Value of the training $7,448 +

Value of the bonuses $4,997 =

Total Training Value

$12,445

Your Investment Options:

Payments:

$5,500

$1,000 down

+ monthly payments

___________

Pay in Full:

$5,000

save $500

___________

Friend Bonus: Enroll with another therapist and you each save $500!

Your Investment in Professional Growth

In this program, you are not just paying for training - you are investing in a year of expert mentorship, a full DBT skills foundation, music therapy applications, and a supportive professional network that will serve you for years to come.

Your investment covers the full year-long DBT Informed Music Therapy Training, all 100 CMTEs, and every included bonus. Spots are intentionally limited to keep the training personal and interactive.

Apply Now

Course Materials (not included in tuition):

  • Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder $45
  • DBT® Skills Training Manual, Second Edition – $64
  • DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition – $46
  • Creative DBT Activities Using Music: Interventions for Enhancing Engagement and Effectiveness in Therapy $30

** This program is for clinicians who already hold a credential as a Board Certified Music Therapist (or a credential in another discipline such as art therapy, dance therapy, recreation therapy). ***

Need Employer Support?

Or Buy-in from Your Significant Other?

Ask Your Boss to Pay for Your Training

Many participants secure full or partial funding from their employers.

1. Use the following script when you talk to your employer about the training and request funding. (Edit it to suit your situation.)

2. Share the Employer Overview Page to start the conversation. (Print it or email it directly to your decision‑maker.)

📄 [Download ask your boss Script]

📄 [Download one pager for employer]

🔗 [Visit the Employer Overview Page] (TheSpiegelAcademy.com/employers)

Need to Ask your Significant Other for Support?

If your partner is part of your decision‑making process, we’ve made it easier for you to share why this training matters to you and your career.

Download this partner support script - it will help you explain your goals, the program benefits, and why investing in this training is worth it for your future.

📄 [Download Partner Support Script]

Tip: Apply now and reserve your spot. You can meet with us while you’re waiting for employer approval. Employers often take a little time, but they do come through - and starting the process now keeps you on track.

Our commitment is to support music therapists in making a greater impact.

We are eager to collaborate with you to make your participation a reality.

Invest in yourself.

Commit to yourself.

Say yes to yourself, your clients, and this opportunity.

Hundreds of people have invested in our DBT Informed MT classes since 2011. We know that if you enroll your therapists and they participate in this entire program, and apply themselves, you will be thrilled with the results. If you or your music therapist find that this program doesn’t feel like a good fit for you, you have 14 days after the first day of starting the first class to get 100% of your money back. After that time, they will be able to transfer to any other classes of their choice of the same credit value from the Spiegel Academy's continuing education class catalog. No hassle.  

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

Click Here to Apply

Not sure? Still on the fence? Want to learn more ...

Schedule a time on the calendar with one of my team members who have completed the training. Find out how this training impacted their practice and their own life, and get answers to your questions.

I look forward to meeting you!

Deborah Spiegel