There is a common misconception in the mental health world that DBT skills training on its own is just “psychoeducation,” a nice supplement but not something that creates real change. At DBT Path, the original online DBT skills class since 2013, the research on standalone DBT skills training tells a more nuanced and more hopeful story. And it starts with how DBT was designed from the beginning.

Pillar 1: Skills training was designed as education

DBT skills training was never an afterthought. Dr. Marsha Linehan who created, developed, and deeply researched dialectical behavior therapy skill, designed it as a distinct, class-style educational component, deliberately separate from individual psychotherapy. Standard DBT has four parts: individual therapy, group skills training, between-session phone coaching, and a therapist consultation team. The skills group runs like a class with a set curriculum. This is the model that DBT Path uses.

(Linehan, M. M. (2015), DBT Skills Training Manual, 2nd edition, Guilford Press.)

So from the very beginning, the skills training piece was built as education. Not therapy. Not a warm up for the “real” work. It was its own thing.

Pillar 2: Standalone DBT skills training has a growing evidence base

Over the past decade, researchers have asked a straightforward question: what happens when you deliver DBT skills training without the rest of full DBT? The answer, so far, is that it helps.

Source 1: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Neacsiu, Eberle, Kramer, Wiesmann, and Linehan (2014) published a pilot randomized controlled trial in Behaviour Research and Therapy (volume 59, pages 40-51, PMID 24974307). They studied 44 anxious or depressed adults without borderline personality disorder. Participants received either 16 weeks of DBT skills training alone or an activities-based support group. The DBT skills group outperformed the support group at reducing emotion dysregulation, increasing skills use, and lowering anxiety.

This matters because it was a controlled trial. It compared skills training against an active alternative, not just a waitlist. And it found real differences.

Source 2: A systematic review

Valentine, Bankoff, Poulin, Reidler, and Pantalone (2015) published a systematic review in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (volume 71, issue 1, pages 1-20, PMID 25042066). They reviewed 17 trials of DBT skills training delivered without the other DBT parts and found preliminary evidence of benefit across many problems.

However, the authors themselves note that methodological limits in the studies they reviewed mean we cannot draw strong efficacy conclusions yet. So the evidence is promising and growing. It is not yet settled proof.

Source 3: A component analysis

Linehan, Korslund, Harned, and colleagues (2015) published a component analysis in JAMA Psychiatry (volume 72, issue 5, pages 475-482, PMID 25806661). They found that the skills training part of DBT was a key active ingredient in the treatment.

It is important to note that this study used a high suicide risk clinical population who also received case management. So it shows that skills training is an active ingredient in DBT. It does not serve as proof that a standalone class alone treats severe disorders on its own. But it does confirm that the skills piece is doing meaningful work.

The honest takeaway

DBT skills training was built as education from the ground up. It was designed to be taught in a classroom format, separate from therapy. And standalone DBT skills classes have a real and growing evidence base showing they can reduce emotion dysregulation, increase skills use, and lower anxiety.

At the same time, full DBT (with individual therapy, coaching, and a consultation team) remains the gold standard for severe conditions like borderline personality disorder with high suicide risk. The two are not in competition. They serve different needs.

For someone who wants to learn DBT skills in a structured, educational setting without individual therapy, the evidence says that is a reasonable and supported choice. DBT Path has taught this kind of standalone DBT skills training online since 2013, with live, lecture-style classes and personalized weekly feedback. You can learn about DBT Path classes here.

Medical safety disclaimer

The DBT skills classes offered by DBT Path are educational in nature and are not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are in crisis or experiencing a medical emergency, please contact your local emergency services or a crisis hotline immediately. Our instructors are educators, not your personal therapists, and our classes do not constitute a patient-provider relationship.

Sources used

• Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Neacsiu, A. D., Eberle, J. W., Kramer, R., Wiesmann, T., & Linehan, M. M. (2014). Dialectical behavior therapy skills for transdiagnostic emotion dysregulation: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 59, 40-51. PMID 24974307.
• Valentine, S. E., Bankoff, S. M., Poulin, R. M., Reidler, E. B., & Pantalone, D. W. (2015). The use of dialectical behavior therapy skills training as stand-alone treatment: A systematic review of the treatment outcome literature. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 71(1), 1-20. PMID 25042066.
• Linehan, M. M., Korslund, K. E., Harned, M. S., et al. (2015). Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: A randomized clinical trial and component analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(5), 475-482. PMID 25806661.