Certificate in DBT Skills and Clinical Applications
Now offering a payment installment plan (use the second sign-up form below)!
This DBT Skills & Clinical Applications Certificate Program is a comprehensive 21.75 CE training series designed for clinicians who want to move beyond introductory DBT exposure and build genuine, practice-ready competency across the full scope of dialectical behavior therapy. Taught by a team of expert instructors — including Stanford-trained clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Wharton — the program blends rigorous theoretical grounding with applied clinical skill, case demonstrations, and experiential exercises to give participants both depth and immediate utility.
Across four course modules, you’ll develop a working command of DBT’s foundational skill modules — Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance — with emphasis on tailoring each to diverse client presentations and cultural contexts. From there, the program takes you deeper: you’ll learn how to deploy DBT flexibly as a trauma treatment framework, including skills-assisted exposure, anti-dissociation techniques, and strategies for post-traumatic growth, with particular focus on clients for whom more traditional trauma approaches have fallen short. The program also equips you to work effectively with reactive and treatment-resistant clients by applying DBT’s emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills to address therapy-interfering behaviors — the clients who challenge even the most experienced clinicians. The program culminates in hands-on training in suicide risk assessment and documentation using the Linehan Risk Assessment and Management Protocol (L-RAMP), providing a structured, evidence-based approach to one of the most consequential responsibilities in clinical practice.
Program participants in clinical practice who complete this program become eligible to earn the DBT-PT™ post-nominal certification credential and digital badge through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, signaling advanced clinical training in DBT skills, trauma applications, and risk assessment.
DISCLAIMER: This program has been developed and offered by Online CE Credits, and it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any other organization, center, clinic, institute, psychotherapy training broker, person, or other business entity. The post-nominal certification credential associated with this program is conferred by Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, an independent certification body.
Program Courses
To be a successful, competent, in-demand mental health clinician, you absolutely need access to premium, specialized clinical training (with the ability to go back for refreshers), as well as opportunities for ongoing peer consultation. That’s exactly what this program delivers, plus:
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DBT Theory and Skills Practice: An On-Demand DBT Symposium
- DBT Special Applications for PTSD: A Recorded Experiential & Interactive Forum
5.75 CEs
- DBT Tools to Help Stubbornly Resistant and Reactive Clients
2.5 CEs
- Suicide Assessment and Documentation: Using the L-RAMP
2.0 CEs
Program Instructors
Emily Wharton, PsyD
Kimberly Duris, EdD, LCPC
Ashley Garrison, LCSW
Want the Credential + Digital Badge?
Your enrollment includes the full Certificate Program curriculum through Online CE Credits—complete the training, quizzes, and evaluation to earn your CE certificates and your Program Certificate of Completion.
If you’d like to pursue the professional certification credential (including the post-nominal designation and a digital badge), you can do so through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE)—our independent certification body backed by a 30+ member advisory board.
No additional fee: If you complete the full OCEC program curriculum, you can earn certification through MWCE at no extra cost.
You can decide later—this is optional and can be started anytime.
ATTENTION: Certificate Programs are not included in the Essentials CE Plan, so please enroll and pay here. Legacy “Everything Plan” members already have access and should not pay.
Payment
Included in this certificate program (21.75 CEs), you'll...
Our benefits
Included in this certificate program (21.75 CEs), you’ll…
- RBe eligible to receive the DBT-PT™ post-nominal certification credential and digital badge through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC to include on your resume, website, and directory profiles.
- RBuild a confident, working command of DBT's four core skill modules — Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance — and learn to tailor each to diverse client presentations and cultural contexts.
- RLearn to deploy DBT flexibly as a trauma treatment framework, including skills-assisted exposure and anti-dissociation techniques, for clients where traditional trauma approaches haven't worked.
- RGain targeted strategies for breaking through with reactive and treatment-resistant clients by applying DBT's emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills to address therapy-interfering behaviors.
- RLearn the practical application of the Linehan Risk Assessment and Management Protocol (L-RAMP) for suicide risk assessment and documentation — usable in any clinical setting, with or without a full DBT practice.
- RLearn from a team of expert instructors including Stanford-trained clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Wharton, with case demonstrations, experiential exercises, and real-world clinical examples throughout.
- RGet free admission to up to four, 1-hour consultation groups to troubleshoot your most difficult clinical cases.
Why Choose Us?
Why Choose Our Certificate in DBT Skills and Clinical Applications?
DBT has quietly become one of the most sought-after clinical skillsets in mental health practice — and for good reason. Clients presenting with emotional dysregulation, self-destructive behaviors, trauma histories, and chronic interpersonal dysfunction are filling caseloads across every practice setting. Referral sources are asking whether clinicians are “DBT-trained.” Clients are specifically requesting it. And the research continues to affirm what experienced clinicians already know: when DBT skills are applied well, they work — not just for Borderline Personality Disorder, but across a wide range of complex, difficult-to-treat presentations.
The challenge is that most DBT continuing education stops at the introductory level. Clinicians walk away knowing the four modules but feeling underprepared for the real clinical complexity that walks through the door — the trauma survivor who can’t tolerate exposure, the resistant client who sabotages every session, the high-risk client whose safety documentation needs to hold up. That’s exactly the gap this program is designed to close.
This comprehensive certificate program gives you synthesized, practice-ready training across the full arc of DBT clinical application: from foundational theory and core skill modules through trauma-informed deployment, resistant client strategies, and evidence-based suicide risk assessment using the Linehan Risk Assessment and Management Protocol (L-RAMP). You can complete the program in approximately 22 self-paced hours, on your own schedule, with lifetime access to all course content. If you want to revisit a module, reinforce a skill set, or simply brush up before a challenging case — it’s always there.
If you opt to submit your training requirements to receive your post-nominal credential, you will not be required to take additional courses or pay more money just to keep your DBT-PT™ post-nominal credential “current.” We believe that when you’ve built real DBT clinical skills, you don’t lose them after a year or two. Just as you don’t have to re-earn your degree, clinical competence is deepened over time through continued practice and learning — not forfeited on a renewal calendar. If you ever feel like you’d benefit from a refresher, we welcome you to attend our group consultations (up to 4 for FREE with your program enrollment!), retake any of your enrolled on-demand program courses at no additional cost, or register for additional courses in our live webinar or home study CE catalog. Individual consultation sessions are also available if you’d like more personalized support.
When you earn your Certificate in DBT Skills & Clinical Applications and DBT-PT™ post-nominal credential through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, it becomes a signal to potential clients and referral sources that you’ve invested in serious, applied DBT training — and that you’re prepared to meet the clinical complexity they’re bringing. And because your program-level certificate and DBT-PT™ certification credential doesn’t expire, you don’t have to worry about anyone telling you to stop listing it on your website, directory profiles, or resume.
We’re excited to support your DBT learning journey! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at cc@onlinececredits.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Online CE Credits grant this program's post-nominal certification credential?
No! The trainings and CEs (along with the program-level Certificate) are offered by Online CE Credits, but the certification credential and digital badge are issued by Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, our independent certification body backed by a 30+ person advisory board.
Can I get new letters after my name when I complete the full certification?
Yes! Completion of all program courses gets you all the CEs through Online CE Credits and a program-level certificate. If you elect to complete all certification requirements through our independent certification body (Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC) you will receive a digital badge with a new post-nominal certification credential that you may advertise on your website, directories, CV, etc.
DISCLAIMER: No credential earned in the pursuit of continuing education guarantees competency to practice, and there is no expressed or written consent, direct or implied, given by Online CE Credits, Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC or their affiliates regarding your competency, ability, or legal right to practice. You must adhere to all licensing laws, rules, regulations, codes, and ethical guidelines of your applicable state professional licensing authority.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes! We offer installment plans for our certificate programs – most of them split into 3 or 4 monthly payments. You get immediate access to the program with your first installment!
Who/What is the administering body for your certificate programs?
Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE). MWCE is owned by Online CE Credits (DBA for Mind Works Professional Education, Inc.) but is a separate legal entity backed by an advisory board that oversees program quality and certification standards.
What learning platform is used to facilitate the learning experience?
How long will these certificate programs usually take to complete?
Our programs on average take about 1.10x the total CE value to complete. You earn CE certificates along the way as you complete each module. No requirement to purchase “recertification”; Keep access to your course modules for your own review as needed!
Will a certificate or certification from Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC permit me to practice?
No! Only your state’s licensing board can permit you to practice as a mental health professional (social worker, LPC, LMFT, psychologist, etc.). Our cert programs provide knowledge credentials, not practice qualifiers! That said, many clinicians find that these credentials are fantastic credibility markers for their clients, potential clients, and employers.
Is there an appeals process for the certificate/certification process?
Our standards are objective and non-exclusionary; anyone who meets the program’s requirements can earn the credential. Thus, an appeals process has never been needed. However, if you experience any challenges with the learning platform or course content, you may email us at cc@onlinececredits.com.If you have questions or need help completing your certification requirements after completing coursework, you may contact our independent certification body – Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC – by clicking here.
Can I get a refund?
Yes! If you purchase a full program and desire a refund, you may do so within 24 hours of your order, no questions asked, as long as you have not completed any courses within the program.
Where can I learn more about the specific requirements for certificate/certification programs?
Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE) is our independent certification body that grants post-nominal credentials, and as such, establishes the criteria for certifications. For specific information on standards and requirements, visit MWCE at mindworkscontinuinged.com.
Do I need to pay again or take additional courses after earning my certificate and/or post-nominal credential, to keep it "current?"
No! You do not need to take additional courses or pay more money just to stay “current.” Just like you earn your graduate degree once (and pay for it once), you likewise earn your continuing education certificate and credential once (and pay for it once).
Keep lifetime access to your content for refresher training and take advantage of included direct consultation to maintain your expertise in both theory and practice.