Table 1.

Dialectical behavior therapy skills training treatment protocol.

Session no.	Session theme	Session content
1	General orientation and introduction to mindfulness	Understanding the meaning of “dialectics”; the DBT assumptions and approach; introduction to the concept of mindfulness
2	Mindfulness	Goals of the mindfulness module; the concepts of emotion mind, reasonable mind, and wise mind
3	Mindfulness	Wise mind practices
4	Mindfulness	“WHAT” skills of mindfulness – observe, describe and participate
5	Mindfulness	“HOW” skills of mindfulness – non-judgmentally, one-mindfully, and effectively
6	Concluding mindfulness	Wise mind: the middle path between extremes – synthesis of doing mind and being mind, desire for change and radical acceptance, self-denial and self-indulgence
7	Introduction to emotion regulation	Goals of emotion regulation module; nature of emotions; complexity of regulating emotions; characteristics of emotions; components of emotions; primary and secondary emotions
8	Emotion regulation	Healthy perspectives on emotions; observing, describing, and naming emotions; differentiating between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; identifying primary emotions; strength-building self-statements; obstacles in observing and describing emotions
9	Emotion regulation	Changing emotional responses – checking the facts
10	Emotion regulation	Changing emotional responses – opposite action
11	Emotion regulation	Changing emotional responses – problem-solving
12	Emotion regulation	Reducing vulnerability to emotional mind – ABC PLEASE skills
13	Concluding emotion regulation	Mindfulness of current emotions; managing extreme emotions – crisis survival skills; troubleshooting emotion regulation skills

DBT-ST, dialectical behavior therapy skills training; DBT, dialectical behavior therapy.