Teaching Mindfulness Skills in DBT
The Oxford Handbook of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy November 1, 2018 Maggie Stanton, Christine Dunkley
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) teaches mindfulness as a set of distinct skills, unlike other mindfulness-based therapies. It separates mindfulness into "What Skills" (observe, describe, participate) and "How Skills" (non-judgementally, one-mindfully, effectively). The "Wise Mind" skill helps clients synthesize logical and emotional perspectives for decision-making. Mindfulness skills are taught in skills group, strengthened in individual therapy, and generalized via phone contact. The chapter is organized around these three modes of delivery, using client examples and scenarios to demonstrate strategies for overcoming challenges in teaching these skills.