: Provides tools for clear communication and maintaining healthy boundaries. Key strategies include: DEAR MAN : To get what you want or need. GIVE : To maintain relationships. FAST : To maintain self-respect. Why It’s Used in Schools
: Focuses on identifying and naming emotions, reducing vulnerability to emotional "avalanches," and increasing positive emotional experiences. DBT Steps-A
(Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents) is a universal social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum adapted from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Unlike clinical therapy, it is designed for general education classrooms (middle and high school) to teach all students—not just those in crisis—how to manage emotions and navigate relationships. Core Modules & Skills : Provides tools for clear communication and maintaining
The curriculum consists of 30 lessons organized into four primary pillars: FAST : To maintain self-respect
: Teaches "crisis survival" skills to help students handle painful situations without making them worse (e.g., radical acceptance).
: The foundation of the program. It helps students build awareness of thoughts and feelings to respond with intention rather than impulse.
Developed by Dr. Liz Dexter-Mazza and Dr. James Mazza, the program aims to provide an "upstream" approach to mental health. By integrating these skills into the school day, educators can address common adolescent challenges: Why DBT STEPS-A/ Overview - DBT in Schools