Six-month bridge from stability to a fuller life

DBT Next Steps

A structured online pathway for DBT graduates who are no longer in constant crisis but remain stuck in avoidance, inconsistent routines, difficult relationships, or a life that has not yet expanded.

Six-month structured online program
Weekly two-hour meetings
For people with a DBT foundation who are stable enough to build
Monthly themes plus a repeatable accountability loop

You do not need to choose the perfect program first

The intake reviews risk, current supports, treatment history, goals, availability, funding, and the amount of structure needed before a service is recommended.

Clinician-reviewed intake
Clear service recommendation
No referral required

Quick read

The essentials before you decide

Who it is for

DBT graduates who are stable enough to pursue life-building goals but still need structure to follow through.

Primary shift

From crisis stabilization to real-world functioning, participation, relationships, and self-sufficiency.

Weekly rhythm

Ambition → action step → review → troubleshoot → recommit.

What it is not

Not a crisis group, introductory skills group, or unstructured processing group.

Fit and safety

Choose the level of support that matches the pattern

This service may be right for you if…

You completed DBT, DBT skills training, or equivalent work
You are not currently in frequent crisis and can participate consistently
Avoidance, procrastination, perfectionism, isolation, or unstable routines keep life smaller than you want
You are ready to complete assignments and action steps between sessions

A different pathway may be safer or more useful when…

Frequent life-threatening behaviour or active crisis requires a higher level of DBT support
You need a first DBT skills foundation before advanced life-building work
Acute medical, psychiatric, substance-related, or safety concerns need stabilization first

Clinical rationale

Stability is not the same as living

After crisis behaviour decreases, people can still remain isolated, avoidant, under-engaged, or unsure how to build a sustainable adult life. Next Steps uses DBT principles, behavioural accountability, and concrete monthly themes to convert stability into participation and direction.

Make life larger

Move toward community, purpose, relationships, work, learning, routines, and activities that matter.

Reduce avoidance

Break goals into visible actions, review what blocked them, and recommit without turning setbacks into abandonment.

Build self-management

Use a repeatable process for planning, acting, reviewing, troubleshooting, and recovering from drift.

Program structure

Six monthly life-building themes

Each month addresses a different barrier to sustaining a life worth living while the same weekly accountability loop keeps goals connected to action.

Month 1 — Perfectionism and reinforcement

Reduce all-or-nothing standards and build reinforcement for gradual, consistent behaviour.

Month 2 — Relationships

Practise participation, boundaries, repair, reciprocity, and reducing avoidance in connection.

Month 3 — Time management

Create realistic routines, action steps, prioritization, and recovery plans for disrupted weeks.

Month 4 — Emotions

Use emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills in the context of real goals and responsibilities.

Month 5 — Succeeding after DBT

Strengthen self-coaching, relapse prevention, maintenance, and decisions about future support.

Month 6 — Mindfulness in application

Use awareness, participation, and wise-mind decision making across the life you are building.

Between-session and practical support

Progress is defined in real-world terms

The goal is not to become better at talking about a life worth living. It is to make behaviour, routines, relationships, and participation measurably more workable.

Action steps

Each ambition becomes a small observable step that can be completed and reviewed.

Troubleshooting

Missed actions are analyzed for barriers, vulnerability, avoidance, skills, environment, and unrealistic planning.

Recommitment

The system treats setbacks as information and returns quickly to the next useful action.

Fees and access

Know the practical details before treatment begins

Group fees and payment arrangements are confirmed during intake. Current DBT Saskatchewan group fees generally range from $60 to $90 per session, subject to program and funding arrangements.

How care begins

A clear pathway—without guessing where to start

You do not need to know the diagnosis, program, or clinician before reaching out.

01 — Secure intake

Tell us what is happening, what you want to change, and any safety, scheduling, or funding needs.

02 — Clinical fit review

A clinician reviews the pattern, risk level, goals, diagnosis questions, and amount of structure needed.

03 — Clear recommendation

You receive a proportionate recommendation: individual DBT, a group, guided support, coordinated care, or another pathway.

04 — Begin with a plan

Care starts with explicit targets, skills practice, progress review, and a plan for support between sessions.

Common questions

What people usually want to know before starting

Is this the same as DBT Skills Training?

No. Skills Training teaches the foundational modules. Next Steps assumes that foundation and focuses on generalization, accountability, and life-building.

Do I need to be completely symptom-free?

No. The key question is whether you are stable enough to participate consistently and work on goals beyond crisis stabilization.

Is it a support or processing group?

No. It is a structured change program with monthly themes, assignments, action steps, review, and troubleshooting.

How long is the program?

Six months, with weekly two-hour online meetings.

What does success look like?

A larger and steadier life: more participation, more reliable routines, healthier relationships, reduced avoidance, and increased self-sufficiency.

Related pathways

Start with a clinical fit review—not a guess about the program.

The secure intake gives the clinic enough information to recommend a proportionate and clinically appropriate next step.