How We Treat
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for All Learning Styles
Clinically reviewed by Marjorie Kreppel, LCPC, Founder and Keelie Hotchkiss, M.S., BCBA, LBA, August 2026.
Marjorie is a DBT Certified Clinician through the DBT Linehan Board of Certification. She has completed Advanced Topics in DBT training (The Linehan Institute, Behavioral Tech, Level 4); Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Training (The Linehan Institute, Behavioral Tech, Level 3); and Intensive Training in DBT PE.
Keelie Hotchkiss, M.S., BCBA, LBA, is a PEERS® Certified Provider through the UCLA Semel Institute and has extensive experience providing evidence-based assessment and treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Some people have been told they can’t do therapy. They can. They just needed therapy that could work for them.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for All Learning Styles (DBT-FALS™) is dialectical behavior therapy adapted for autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and neurodivergent learners. Evidence-based. Neurodiversity-affirming. Designed for the way your brain actually works.
You Were Never the Problem. The Way Skills Were Being Taught Might Have Been.
Too many people have left therapy feeling like they failed, when in reality, the approach failed them.
Emotion regulation. Healthy communication. Coping through hard moments. These are skills every human being deserves access to. But for years, the standard way of teaching them, worksheets, abstract concepts, lengthy verbal discussion, has left out a significant portion of the people who need them most.
If you learn through movement, visuals, repetition, hands-on experience, music, or structured practice, traditional therapy models weren’t built with you in mind. That’s not a personal shortcoming. That’s a gap in how care has been delivered. DBT-FALS™ exists to close that gap.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for All Learning Styles (DBT-FALS™) is an adaptation of standard DBT, developed by the state of Michigan for individuals who were trying, and struggling, to access skills that could genuinely change their lives. It preserves everything that makes DBT effective: the core skill areas, the evidence base, the goal of building a life worth living. It simply delivers those skills through the pathways that actually work for each learner.
The destination is the same. The path looks different. And that difference changes everything.
WHAT IS DBT-FALS™?
DBT-FALS™ is an evidence-informed adaptation of standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy that was specifically developed for individuals who experience challenges learning through traditional therapy models. The program incorporates visual learning, movement, repetition, sensory experiences, simplified language, experiential activities, and structured practice to increase engagement and retention.
DBT-FALS preserves the core principles of standard DBT while making the material more accessible and easier to apply in everyday life.
Instead of relying heavily on worksheets, abstract concepts, and lengthy discussions, DBT-FALS focuses on active learning and practical skill use. Participants learn skills through doing, not just talking.
DBT-FALS™ starts from a belief that has guided everything at Counseling Center Group: that everyone deserves access to effective mental health treatment, and that it’s our job to meet people where they are, not the other way around.
It’s an evidence-informed adaptation of standard DBT that replaces reliance on worksheets and abstract verbal instruction with active, multisensory, experiential learning. Visual learning. Movement. Repetition. Simplified language. Structured practice. Real-world application.
The core principles of DBT remain intact. The way they’re taught has been rebuilt from the ground up. Participants learn skills through doing, not just talking about doing.
WHY WAS DBT-FALS™ DEVELOPED?
Standard DBT is among the most researched, most effective treatments in behavioral health for emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, self-destructive behaviors, and relationship difficulties.
And yet, for years, clinicians observed something troubling: individuals who genuinely wanted to learn these skills, who showed up, who tried, were still struggling to access them. Not because of lack of motivation. Because the teaching model wasn’t built for the way their brains work.
Researchers and clinicians inside Michigan state’s health and human services took that problem seriously. They studied who was being left out, individuals with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, autism, cognitive differences, sensory processing challenges, significant learning differences, and asked a different question: What if we changed how we teach, instead of assuming the learner needs to change?
DBT-FALS™ was their answer.
It maintains the evidence-based foundations of DBT while finally making those foundations accessible to the people who needed them most all along.
WHO IS DBT-FALS™ BEST FOR?
DBT-FALS™ may be a good fit for adolescents and adults who:
- Are autistic or identify as neurodivergent
- Have intellectual or developmental disabilities
- Learn best through visual, experiential, or hands-on approaches
- Benefit from repetition and concrete examples
- Struggle with emotional regulation
- Experience frequent frustration, anger, or behavioral outbursts
- Have difficulty understanding or remembering traditional therapy concepts
- Need support developing coping skills, communication skills, and self-awareness
- Have ADHD or executive functioning challenges
- Have participated in therapy before but found it difficult to apply the skills outside of sessions
At Counseling Center Group, we believe that a learning difference is never a reason to receive less effective care. DBT-FALS™ was built for people who have often been underserved by traditional mental health treatment, not because their needs were too complex, but because the available approaches weren’t complex enough.
DBT-FALS™ is a strengths-based model. The goal isn’t to change who someone is. It’s to give them tools built for who they actually are, so they can navigate life with greater confidence, connection, and control.
WHAT SKILLS ARE TAUGHT?
The four core skill areas of DBT, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness , remain the foundation of DBT-FALS™. What changes is how they’re introduced, practiced, and remembered.
Mindfulness
Participants learn how to:
- Increase awareness of thoughts, emotions, and surroundings
- Focus attention intentionally
- Develop Wise Mind decision-making
- Notice experiences without judgment
Skills include:
- Wordless Watching
- Observe Inside
- Just the Facts
- Wise Mind
Distress Tolerance
Participants learn how to:
- Stay safe during emotional crises
- Reduce impulsive reactions
- Tolerate difficult situations without making them worse
Skills include:
- STOP
- Calm the Body
- Distract and Shift
- Accept What Is
- Cool Down
Emotion Regulation
Participants learn how to:
- Understand emotions
- Increase positive experiences
- Improve self-care
- Solve problems effectively
- Respond rather than react
Skills include:
- Grow
- Healthy Body
- Problem Solving
- Opposite Action
- Cope Ahead
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Participants learn how to:
- Build healthy relationships
- Ask for what they need
- Set boundaries
- Develop self-respect
- Navigate social situations effectively
Skills include:
- Care About Others
- Smart Help
- Smart Asking
- Smart No
- Self-Respect
WHAT MAKES DBT-FALS™ DIFFERENT?
| Feature | Standard DBT | DBT-FALS |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Evidence-based treatment for emotion dysregulation and high-risk behaviors | Makes DBT accessible for individuals with intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairments, autism, learning disabilities, or reduced literacy while maintaining DBT principles |
| Target Population | Adolescents and adults who can engage with traditional DBT materials | Individuals who benefit from simplified language, visual supports, repetition, and concrete instruction |
| Language | Standard DBT terminology and abstract concepts | Simplified, concrete language with reduced cognitive demands |
| Teaching Style | Discussion, worksheets, and homework | Highly visual, repetitive, experiential, and multi-sensory instruction using multiple learning modalities |
| Skills Covered | Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness | Covers the same core DBT skills while adding foundational modules to teach prerequisite concepts needed before traditional DBT skills |
| Additional Modules | None | Includes introductory modules (e.g., "The Basics") to build understanding of thoughts, feelings, and core DBT concepts before progressing to standard skills |
| Learning Supports | Written handouts and discussion | Pictures, visual cues, simplified worksheets, repetition, acronyms, modeling, and frequent review |
| Session Structure | Standard DBT skills groups and individual therapy | Similar group structure but modified pace, increased repetition, and greater emphasis on skill rehearsal |
| Homework | Traditional diary cards and written practice | Simplified homework and adapted diary cards designed for varying cognitive and literacy abilities |
| Clinical Goal | Build emotion regulation, reduce maladaptive behaviors, and create a life worth living | Achieve the same DBT treatment goals through adaptations that improve accessibility and skill acquisition |
DBT-FALS™ AT COUNSELING CENTER GROUP
At Counseling Center Group, our purpose is simple: helping people build a life they love. That purpose has always meant that access to high-quality, evidence-based treatment can’t be contingent on how someone learns.
DBT-FALS™ is one of the ways we live that out.
Our DBT-FALS™ clinicians are trained in neurodiversity-affirming care, developmental differences, emotional regulation, and evidence-based behavioral intervention. They don’t just understand the model, they understand the people the model was built for.
We design every DBT-FALS™ group to be:
- Structured and predictable, so participants can focus on learning, not on uncertainty
- Multi-sensory and engaging, so skills land and stick
- Supportive and affirming, so participants feel safe enough to grow
- Respectful of individual learning needs, always
Our goal isn’t to run participants through a program. It’s to help them walk away with skills they’ll actually use, long after our work together ends.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Step 1: Free Consultation
Meet with a member of our team to discuss goals, challenges, learning preferences, and whether DBT-FALS is the right fit.
Step 2: Intake Assessment
We’ll learn more about strengths, support needs, treatment history, and areas of growth.
Step 3: Begin Skills Training
Participants join a structured DBT-FALS group designed to support skill acquisition through multiple learning styles.
Step 4: Practice in Real Life
The real work happens between sessions.
Participants practice skills in daily situations with support from clinicians, caregivers, and natural supports when appropriate.
FOR PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS
The people closest to someone in treatment matter. Not just emotionally, clinically.
When caregivers, family members, and support persons understand the skills being learned, those skills generalize faster. They get practiced in real environments, with real people, in real situations. That’s how DBT-FALS™ was designed to work.
When appropriate, we involve caregivers and support persons in treatment planning, skill coaching, and the generalization of skills outside of sessions. Families often tell us that DBT-FALS™ doesn’t just change the participant, it gives everyone in the support system a shared language, and a shared way forward.
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
FAQs
No. DBT-FALS is an adaptation of standard DBT that maintains the core principles and skill areas while presenting the material in a more accessible, experiential, and learning-focused format.
No. While many autistic individuals benefit from DBT-FALS, it was designed for anyone who learns differently or benefits from adapted instruction, including people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, ADHD, and other learning differences.
DBT-FALS is based on the principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, one of the most researched treatments for emotional dysregulation and behavioral difficulties. The model was developed from years of clinical implementation and adaptation within state hospital systems.
DBT-FALS can be adapted for adolescents and adults depending on developmental level, learning needs, and treatment goals.
No. A formal diagnosis is not always required. The primary consideration is whether the participant would benefit from a more accessible, multi-sensory approach to learning emotional regulation and life skills.
Not necessarily. Some individuals participate in DBT-FALS as a standalone service, while others combine it with individual therapy, family therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral services, or other supports.
You came this far because someone , maybe you, maybe someone you love, deserves better.
Learning should never be the barrier to getting help. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself, your child, or someone in your care, DBT-FALS™ offers a practical, structured, and genuinely compassionate path toward emotional regulation, healthier relationships, and greater independence.
The skills are real. The approach works. And we built it for people exactly like you.