DBT Next Steps Group
From “stable” → to self-sufficient → to a life that actually works.
You’ve done the crisis work. You’ve learned the skills. You’re more stable now.
But stability isn’t the finish line.
DBT Next Steps Group is a 6-month online group (2-hour weekly sessions) designed for people who have a DBT foundation and are ready to move from coping to capability—work/school functioning, relationships, community, routines, and long-term life building.
Quick Read (60 seconds)
6 months total (6 modules, one month each)
Weekly 2-hour online group
Built for the “stable-but-stuck” phase: avoidance, perfectionism, time chaos, inconsistent follow-through
Focus: self-sufficiency across life domains (not just symptom reduction)
Structured weekly commitments: ambition → action step → progress → troubleshoot avoidance → recommit
This is skills + application (not a processing/support group)
Does any of this feel familiar?
This group is for you if you’ve ever thought:
- “I can handle crises better… but my life still isn’t moving forward.”
- “I avoid the exact steps that would make things better—then feel ashamed.”
- “I’m not falling apart, but I’m not building anything either.”
- "Work/school, routines, or relationships still collapse when stress hits.”
- “I want to become my own therapist—consistently, not occasionally.”
If this hits home, you’re not failing. You’re at the next developmental stage—where the main problem isn’t crisis, it’s avoidance-based quality-of-life limits.
Why it’s called “Next Steps”
Because this is the phase where you stop asking:
“How do I survive this moment?”
…and start building the answers to:
“How do I build a life I don’t keep escaping from?”
Next Steps is designed to turn DBT into a life system—one that supports:
meaningful work or study
healthier relationships and community
emotional proficiency (not emotional avoidance)
time and self-management that actually holds up
What you’ll work on (in the real world)
This 6-month program is organized around practical life domains—what functioning looks like after crisis stabilizes:
Meaningful Work / School Functioning
Build a realistic path toward steady work or studies, with follow-through and readiness.Interpersonal Proficiency
Become more effective in relationships, especially under stress—less rupture, more repair, more self-respect.Life Outside Primary Roles
Build supportive connection and community outside therapy—friendships, belonging, healthy interdependence.Emotional Proficiency
Feel fully without avoidance; reduce problematic emotions fast enough to prevent consequences.Self-Management
Time management, routines, health habits, and practical life structure (money, scheduling, follow-through).
Stop using perfection as “protection.” Build progress through reinforcement and small wins.
Choose relationships wisely, set boundaries, and reduce patterns that keep pulling you backward.
Build a Wise Mind schedule you can actually follow—reduce chaos, procrastination, and avoidance loops.
Upgrade emotional regulation for real-world contexts: work, relationships, routines, and long-term goals.
Turn DBT into maintenance + growth: relapse prevention, recommitment, life design.
Use mindfulness as a performance tool: focus, consistency, value-based action, and stability under stress.
What a session looks like (2 hours, every week)
Predictable structure = easier follow-through.
Good News (start from momentum, not defeat)
Check-In (ambition → action step → progress → avoidance → recommit)
Assignment review + troubleshooting (why it didn’t happen, what to change this week)
New material teaching + practice
Break about halfway through
Integration + next commitment
This isn’t a “talk about your week” group. It’s skills, practice, and life-building application.
The Self-Sufficiency Framework
What we are actually building
Next Steps is about becoming effective enough that your life expands—without needing constant rescue.
That means:
you can notice avoidance early
you can recommit quickly after setbacks
you can build structure that survives stress
you can create meaning and connection outside therapy
You’re not aiming for “doing everything alone.”
You’re building healthy interdependence with strong self-management.
Who this group is for
(What you’ll learn)
Designed for people who:
have a DBT foundation (completed DBT, DBT skills training, or equivalent skills work)
are not currently in frequent crisis and can participate consistently
want to reduce avoidance and improve real-world functioning
are ready to complete assignments and action steps between sessions
want a structured bridge from stabilization to long-term life building
What you Get
what changes when it works)
A structured 6-month roadmap with one clear focus each month
A repeatable weekly accountability loop (ambition → action step → review → troubleshoot → recommit)
Practical tools for time, relationships, emotion management, and life design
Skills generalization: making DBT show up where it matters most (work, community, routines)
A measurable, real-world definition of progress: your life becomes bigger, steadier, and more workable