Bring Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills to life through music, songs, and practical activities.
Get Tools That Fit Your Role:
Resources for clinicians, group leaders, and people learning DBT.
Choose the path that's right for you:
(No musical experience required)
Not ready to choose yet? Start with free DBT Mindfulness Flashcards.
See the Tools in Action ↓
Listen to songs designed to help reinforce, remember, and apply DBT skills.
Use these tools in sessions, groups, or your own DBT skills practice.
Mindfulness:
Here and Now
Kelly sings this gentle, sensory-based song to guide listeners through mindful breathing and observation, helping ground attention in the present moment.
Mindfulness is at the core of DBT. Each skill lesson begins with a mindfulness practice to help center attention and build present-moment awareness.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
DEAR MAN
In online conversations on social media, sometimes posts can get heated. Instead of diving head-on into an argument, the skill called DEAR MAN can be utilized for effective communication.
This is a formula for asking for what you want or saying no to what you don’t want. It’s a DBT skill, which Bailey is teaching here through song.
Mindfulness:
What Skills
When emotions take over, it can be easy to react before we've had time to think.
In this example Deborah uses a song “The Roller Coaster” to reinforce the three states of mind and the mindfulness skills of Observe, Describe, and Participate, with the reminder that "it's not too late to be wise."
Emotion Regulation:
Check the Facts
Stephen’s new lyrics to this familiar song help listeners practice the DBT skill of Check the Facts, a powerful way to challenge assumptions and avoid reacting to inaccurate interpretations.
By repeating the question, “Do your emotions fit the facts?” the song helps reinforce the skill and make it easier to remember in everyday situations.
With DBT Music You Can:
Make DBT skills easier to remember
Give learners another way to experience and practice the skills
Bring variety and engagement to skills training
Help DBT skills carry into everyday life
"These songs and lessons are so helpful! It's helped me remember the skills when I needed them most." JC
Want Access to Tools Like These?
Bring DBT skills to life in a way that’s engaging, memorable, and easy to implement.
Choose the resources that fit your role, whether you’re a clinician or group leader, or for your own DBT skills practice.
No Musical Talent? No Problem.
Our ready-to-use tools work whether you’re musically trained or not. Everything you need is provided, so you can start right away.
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy model and set of personal growth skills to help people manage emotions, respond rather than react, and build balanced, fulfilling lives.
Why Music?
Music is engaging, memorable, and effective at reinforcing learning.
Whether you're in a DBT program or simply want to build healthier habits, music-based DBT resources make skills more accessible and enjoyable.
Practice DBT Skills One Card at a Time
Use these free printable flashcards to review and reinforce key DBT skills.
Grab Your FREE DBT Mindfulness Flashcards!
Prefer a Book?
Explore Deborah Spiegel’s DBT + music resources for clinicians, educators, and people using DBT skills.
Creative DBT Activities Using Music : Interventions for Enhancing Engagement and Effectiveness in Therapy (Jessica Kingsley 2020) 📚 [Get the Book]
This book presents you with a variety of ways to utilize DBT skills with music. It offers tangible assignments that the client can take home and do on their own, or the therapist can use in sessions. No musical background is required to successfully use the activities.
"As a psychologist and life-long musician I've always wanted to better synthesize these two passions to help my patients. Spiegel, Makary, and Bonavitacola, show me (and now you) many effective and practical ways to creatively weave music into DBT! You do not need to be a musician or a psychologist to find these therapeutic activities immediately applicable to your patients, students, and colleagues who are practicing DBT.
Alec L. Miller, PsyD
Creative DBT Activities for Children Using Music : (Jessica Kingsley 2025)
Musical DBT-informed activities that equip educators, therapists, and parents with tools to reach the social and emotional needs of children through fresh and creative activities.
"A great resource for any skills teaching program introducing DBT to younger children. The musical activities have been imaginatively linked to DBT skills helping to make the concepts accessible to younger minds. Each chapter includes a session plan, suggested adaptations and links to supporting resources for flexible use."
Stephanie Hastings PhD, Co-Deputy Director PG Dip DBT, Bangor University
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