PURPOSE

OF THE TEAM 

The purpose of the consultation team is to help therapists remain effective when working with clients who experience significant emotional dysregulation. DBT work is deeply meaningful and it also requires ongoing support, perspective, and collaboration.

Consultation meetings provide a structured professional space where therapists can strengthen their application of the DBT model while receiving feedback and encouragement from colleagues doing similar work. This process helps clinicians maintain balance, sharpen their clinical decision-making, and sustain the motivation needed for this demanding treatment.

Within consultation meetings we work to:

• strengthen adherence to the DBT model
• identify therapist therapy-interfering behaviors
• maintain therapist motivation and effectiveness
• apply DBT strategies to challenging therapeutic moments
• support one another in doing demanding clinical work

WHO THIS

TEAM IS FOR

This consultation team may be a good fit for private practice therapists who work with clients experiencing emotional dysregulation and:

• provide DBT-Comprehensive care within their practice
• want consultation grounded in DBT principles
• value collaborative professional support

Therapists at different stages of DBT training are welcome. Members should have familiarity with the DBT model and a commitment to strengthening their application of DBT strategies in clinical work.

MEETING

STRUCTURE

Meetings are professionally facilitated by an experienced DBT therapist to help ensure that consultation is provided effectively and that team members receive meaningful support within the meeting time.

Consistent with DBT consultation practices, discussion follows the consultation hierarchy, prioritizing topics that most directly impact therapist effectiveness and treatment integrity. Consultation focuses on the therapist’s responses to challenging clinical situations and the application of DBT strategies in treatment.

Meetings typically include:

• brief mindfulness practice
• structured agenda setting
• consultation focused on therapist responses to clinical challenges
• identification of therapist therapy-interfering behaviors
• application of DBT problem-solving and treatment strategies
• brief didactic discussions to strengthen DBT knowledge and clinical application
• collaborative support and reinforcement of effective therapist behaviors

This structure supports consultation team’s central purpose in DBT: maintaining therapist motivation, effectiveness, and fidelity when working with complex and emotionally intense clinical presentations.

FACILITATED BY

KRISTEN SHULER, LCSW

Kristen Shuler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and DBT therapist specializing in the treatment of emotional dysregulation and highly sensitive clients. Her clinical work focuses on applying the fidelity DBT model to help clients develop emotional stability, behavioral effectiveness, and meaningful life change.

Kristen has five years of experience facilitating and coordinating DBT consultation teams, supporting therapists in maintaining effectiveness, strengthening adherence to the model, and navigating complex clinical situations.

In addition to her clinical work, Kristen is a therapist educator who provides professional training and consultation for clinicians seeking to deepen their understanding of clinical strategies. She has experience teaching DBT-focused didactic material at the university level and offering continuing education trainings for mental health professionals on the clinical application of DBT principles.

Her consultation approach emphasizes maintaining fidelity to the DBT model while supporting therapists in the demanding and meaningful work of treating clients with significant emotional dysregulation.

TEAM 

LOGISTICS

Consultation teams meet:

• Weekly on Thursdays
• 12:00 – 2:00 PM CST
• Small group format
• Virtual meetings via Zoom

Teams are intentionally kept small to support meaningful discussion and collaboration. Additional times may be available. Please inquire for more!