DBT in Schools, LLC

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DBT in Schools, LLC

DBT in Schools was founded by Dr Jim Mazza and Dr Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza. Their mission is to promo

08/22/2026

There’s a little history behind this one. ❤️

Lizz Dexter-Mazza and her family love the music by Gavin DeGraw. So whenever he’s around they try to see him perform. She has photos of her kids with Gavin from when they were little, and I Don’t Want to Be has been one of those songs played for them over the years. It’s the perfect theme song to growing up that still fits from decade to decade.

Now those little kids are growing up. One is starting high school, and the boys are heading to college.

Different ages. Different schools. Very different transitions.

And that’s one of the things we love about teaching DBT skills across the school years. The situations change as students grow, and they can continue coming back to skills that help them Check the Facts, access Wise Mind, stay connected to their wise mind values, and make choices about who they want to be.

From elementary school to adolescence and beyond, the skills grow with them. ❤️

08/10/2026

The beginning of a new school year comes with a lot of unknowns, and our minds are quick to fill in the blanks.

A delayed reply can become “They’re mad at me.”
A serious expression can become “My teacher doesn’t like me.”
One hard day can become “This whole year is going to be terrible.”

Check the Facts helps students slow that process down. What actually happened? What did I observe? What am I assuming? What information might I still be missing?

Sometimes the facts support the emotion. Other times, students realize their minds have added a prediction or interpretation that they don’t actually have evidence for yet. Either way, they have more information to decide what comes next.

These are great questions to begin practicing early in the school year, before students need them during a much bigger emotional moment.

Want to teach skills like Check the Facts with more confidence? Fall DBT in Schools open enrollment and private training opportunities are available on our website.

08/06/2026

The first days of school create a lot of unknowns, and Emotion Mind often tries to fill in the missing information.

A student may think:

“No one will talk to me.”
“I’m going to mess up.”
“This year is going to be terrible.”

Those thoughts can feel really BIG, which makes them feel true even when they’re predictions rather than facts.

Check the Facts helps students slow down before a worried interpretation becomes the whole story. Students learn to identify what's actually happening inside of their body, notice what they’re assuming, and decide what to do next.

They might ask:
What do I know right now?
What am I guessing?
What are the factst?
Could there be another explanation?

It's not expected to convince students that everything will go well or that their feelings are wrong. Their emotions are real. Check the Facts helps them determine whether the intensity of the emotion fits what’s happening in this moment and choose an effective next step.

A student can feel nervous about making friends and recognize that they haven’t met their classmates yet.

They can worry about making a mistake and remember that one mistake doesn’t define the entire school year.

Beginning the year with this language gives students a practical way to respond when uncertainty starts turning into certainty.

Explore upcoming DBT in Schools training opportunities and learn how to teach DBT skills that students can use from the first day of school and throughout the year. Inquire about private training and view fall open enrollment opportunities at dbtinschools.com.

07/30/2026

Knowing what you need is one thing. Knowing how to ask for it effectively is a skill.

DEAR MAN gives students a clear structure for communicating their needs, setting boundaries, and handling difficult conversations:

🔹 Describe what happened
🔹 Express how you feel
🔹 Assert what you need
🔹 Reinforce why it matters
🔹 Stay Mindful of your goal
🔹 Appear confident
🔹 Negotiate when needed

With practice, students can learn to speak up clearly and respectfully while staying focused on what they want from the conversation.

Bringing practical DBT skills like DEAR MAN into your school or classroom with just a few clicks. New training dates are now available at dbtinschools.com. Visit the link in our bio to learn more.

07/25/2026

Hope really does start here. 💙

Last week, our incredible trainers, Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp and special education teacher Tanya Leonard, spent the day with the Project Harmony team in Omaha, Nebraska, for a DBT STEPS-E training.

We love seeing educators and school-based professionals come together to learn practical DBT skills they can bring into their work with elementary students. And we especially love the Project Harmony shirts and their powerful reminder: “Hope Starts Here.”

Thank you to the entire Project Harmony team for welcoming us and for your commitment to supporting students with the skills they need to understand their emotions, navigate challenges, and thrive.

07/24/2026

Big emotions show up in elementary classrooms every day. The goal is not to eliminate them. It is to give students the skills to understand what they are feeling and respond more effectively.

DBT STEPS E helps K–5 educators teach practical, developmentally appropriate skills for emotion regulation, coping, mindfulness, and communication in real classroom settings.

Our live virtual implementation training gives teachers, counselors, and school staff the tools and confidence to bring these skills into their schools with consistency.

Multiple training dates are now available.

Learn more and find the session that works best for your team.

www.dbtinschools.com/all-training-opportunities

07/18/2026

We introduce Wise Mind early because it gives students a simple way to understand how thoughts and emotions work together.

Emotion Mind is when feelings take the lead. Reactions may feel intense, urgent, or impulsive.

Reasonable Mind focuses on facts and logic, sometimes without considering emotions.

Wise Mind brings both together. It helps students recognize what they feel, consider what they know, and choose a more effective response.

In the classroom, teaching these three states gives students language for what is happening internally. Over time, they can begin to notice their reactions, reflect on their choices, and respond with greater awareness.

One of our favorite questions to ask is:
"What would your Wise Mind say?”

This simple prompt creates space between a feeling and a reaction helping students build self-awareness, emotional regulation, and thoughtful decision-making.

Summer and Fall training opportunities are now open for registration. Visit dbtinschools.com for training dates and registration.

07/15/2026

In DBT STEPS-A and STEPS-E, we replace the word “but” with “and.” It may sound small, and it changes everything.

The word “but” invalidates whatever comes before it:
“I like your hair curly, BUT it would look better straight.”The compliment disappears because the second phrase erases it.

When we teach students to use and, they learn that two truths can coexist.
“I’m proud of my work, and I want to keep improving.”
“I’m upset, and I know I can calm down.”

That’s the cornerstone of DBT. We can hold multiple truths at once, which is the foundation of empathy, problem-solving, and balance.

Try modeling it this week: replace but with and in your classroom or home conversations. You’ll be surprised how much validation it adds.

Learn how we teach dialectical thinking through the DBT STEPS-E and STEPS-A curricula.
https://www.dbtinschools.com/all-training-opportunities

07/09/2026

Looking ahead to the school year?

Our upcoming DBT in Schools trainings are now available for summer and fall registration.

Whether your team is implementing DBT STEPS-A, preparing for DBT STEPS-E, returning for a booster, or building DBT-informed counseling strategies, these live virtual trainings are designed to support practical implementation in real school settings.

Registration is available at https://www.dbtinschools.com/all-training-opportunities

06/28/2026

Summer break often brings new routines, later mornings, camps, travel, and more unstructured time.

Even when the change is exciting, students can still experience emotions that rise and fall throughout the day.

That is why daily check-ins still matter.

A simple DBT check-in can help students pause, notice their emotional temperature, practice one skill, and build mindful moments into everyday life — not just when they are already upset.

These small moments of awareness help students stay connected to the skills they worked on during the school year and make it easier to use them when big feelings show up.

Download our free Daily DBT Check-In and keep skill practice going this summer.

Available at:
www.dbtinschools.com/resources

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