Family gatherings can bring both joy and stress as clients navigate complex family dynamics, heightened emotions, and social expectations. This training equips mental health professionals with practical Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills tailored specifically to help clients manage emotional intensity, maintain interpersonal effectiveness, and practice mindfulness during family gatherings and festive events. This course offers a nuanced exploration of DBT principles and techniques—such as distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and radical acceptance—and provides strategies for helping clients apply these skills in emotionally charged holiday contexts. Participants will leave with actionable tools to empower clients toward greater emotional balance, improved communication, and meaningful connection during the holiday season and beyond.

Upon completion of the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify and explain at least three core DBT skills—such as emotion regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance—that are particularly beneficial during family gatherings and holiday stressors.
• Apply DBT interventions to case examples involving family conflict, emotional triggers, or overwhelming social interactions during the family gatherings.
• Develop a customized DBT-based toolkit to assist clients in preparing for and managing challenging emotions, interpersonal dynamics, and self-care needs during family gatherings.