Dialectical Behavior Therapy Next Steps, formerly DBT- Accepting the Challenges of Employment and Self-Sufficiency (DBT-ACES) was developed as an adjunctive treatment to Standard DBT to increase self-sufficiency.

DBT Next Steps is for those who have done the hard work of learning the skills, have graduated from comprehensive DBT, and are ready to live them more fully. This phase of treatment moves beyond stabilization and focuses on integration, bringing mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness into daily life with greater confidence and flexibility.

Rather than simply knowing the skills, participants practice embodying them. DBT Next Steps supports continued growth by helping individuals navigate complex emotions, deepen relational effectiveness, and align their behaviors with long-term values and purpose.

It is about strengthening mastery, sustaining progress, and building a life that feels not just manageable, but meaningful.

This curriculum focuses on moving from surviving to thriving. It offers space to deepen mindfulness, strengthen emotional steadiness, build courageous relationships, and align daily actions with long-term values. Rather than simply managing crises, participants practice responding to life with clarity, flexibility, and intention.

Growth is not linear. Mastery is not perfection. DBT Next Steps honors both the progress made and the continued work ahead, supporting individuals in building a life that feels steady, meaningful, and fully lived.

If you have a client who has graduated from comprehensive DBT and is looking to continue strengthening all that they have learned, DBT Next Steps Group is a way to support continued growth.