DBT Informed Music Therapy Training
Grow your skills, strategies, and confidence to help clients navigate life’s challenges
Practical strategies to help clients manage emotions, navigate challenges, and build coping skills.
The confidence to handle challenging clinical situations with a clear framework for knowing what to do and why.
New possibilities for your career as you expand your expertise, collaborate with treatment teams, and bring greater value to your music therapy practice.
Enrollment closes March 15, 2027 or when all spots are full.
Self-study foundation classes available immediately
Zoom Orientation: April 19, 2027
Hear From Music Therapists Who've Completed the Training:
Arianna Morelli MT-BC
How this training transformed her career and opened new doors.
Caitlin Carter MT-BC
She's taken both DBT trainings. Hear why this one stood out.
Parry Villa MT-BC
What her treatment team noticed after she integrated DBT.
Kelly Howard MT-BC
From Band-Aid solutions to teaching skills that last a lifetime.
Why This Training Matters for Music Therapists
You already know how powerful music therapy can be.
Imagine combining your musical skills with a structured approach to teaching clients how to navigate difficult emotions, manage crises, strengthen relationships, and make meaningful changes in their lives.
That's what DBT-informed music therapy can help you do.
Peggy Tileston MT-BC
Clinical Training Coordinator, Temple University
Graduate of the DBT Informed Music Therapy Program
shares 4 reasons she recommends this training to every music therapist:
1. Personal Integrity from going through the processes yourself
2. Impressive level of clinical supervision as you work DBT into your practice
3. Going through program with a cohort of peers, resourcing one another in a like- minded community
4. CMTEs
Watch her story >>
Is this familiar?
You discover DBT and realize how much it could help your clients...
So you:
Buy books and scour the internet for ideas
Spend hours experimenting and troubleshooting
Try to piece together DBT and music therapy on your own
But without a structured approach and expert guidance, progress can feel slow and frustrating.
You may find yourself:
Struggling to adapt DBT skills for your clients in a way that actually sticks
Wishing you had a ready-to-go set of coping skills for challenging situations
Feeling left out of treatment team conversations because you don’t yet “speak DBT” fluently
Spending hours reinventing the wheel instead of confidently implementing skills in sessions
How This Training Can Transform Your Practice
Deep Knowledge & Proven Methods
Gain a comprehensive understanding of DBT skills, giving you the confidence to adapt them to your clients' unique needs and challenges.
Build a repertoire of evidence-based coping strategies, equipping you with practical tools to draw upon when clients need them most.
Applying DBT Skills in Your Practice
Learn to recognize which DBT skills fit different clinical situations, allowing you to respond with confidence rather than second-guessing your approach.
Integrate DBT skills into your music therapy sessions, making it easier for clients to learn, practice, and remember skills through meaningful musical experiences.
Impact on Client Outcomes
Help clients develop practical coping skills, empowering them to navigate crises, regulate emotions, improve relationships, and make healthier choices.
Create music-based DBT interventions that help clients remember and use their skills in everyday life, even when you're not there to guide them.
Career Growth & Recognition
Develop specialized DBT knowledge and a shared clinical language, enabling you to collaborate more confidently with treatment teams and contribute to client care.
Demonstrate your competency as a DBT-Informed Music Therapist, strengthening your professional credibility and opening doors to new career opportunities.
Real Music Therapists. Real Transformations.
“I needed tools to feel like I was going to make a difference in somebody's life. I was working with clients who had experienced trauma, difficult family histories, and abuse. And here I was coming in as this happy-go-lucky music therapist, thinking, what do I do with that?
This training gave me the skills I needed to work with my clients and give them the skills they need.
Arianna Morelli, MT-BC
"This is a very well put together program and the instructors are impressively knowledgeable - at the top of their game."
I learned a new skill set that I had never learned before in school or anywhere. The DBT skills are very useful and applicable with all populations. Being able to have all the skills for mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness to integrate into my music therapy has helped me address behavior, emotion regulation and communication issues with my clients."
Rachael Williams MT-BC
"This DBT informed Music Therapist training has been profoundly beneficial both personally and professionally. My intention was to learn tools to use with my clients, which I have, and the supervision has been priceless. The bonus to me is being able to implement the skills myself and how it has improved my own life."
Betsey Carle MT-BC
"I am super thankful that I did the DBT Informed MT certification. It has helped me better serve emotionally sensitive patients, better work with difficult people and has given me valuable distress tolerance skills to use personally. "
Katie Cowan MT-BC
Ready to
Create Your Own Success Story?
Join our next small cohort
of music therapists
and start
building the skills
to
make an even greater impact.
What exactly is included in this program?
Your Complete DBT Informed Music Therapy Training Package
1 year Training Program • 100 CMTEs
This comprehensive year-long training will transform the way you approach challenging clinical situations and give you specialized skills you can immediately apply in your music therapy practice. Along the way, you'll receive more than $12,000 in expert training, tools, and bonuses, all for much less than you might expect.
Through a combination of self-paced learning, weekly live training, supervision, consultation, and hands-on implementation, you'll gain the knowledge, confidence, and practical experience to integrate DBT into your music therapy practice.
This DBT journey takes you step by step from learning DBT skills to confidently applying them in your music therapy practice.
Part 1 – Build Your Foundation (March-April)
Self‑study DBT & mindfulness courses + music‑based interventions to use immediately.
Part 2 – In‑Depth Skills Study & Supervision (May-Sept)
Weekly skills training, case application, and monthly supervision.
Part 3 – Implementation & Support (Oct-March)
Weekly scenario‑based practice, individualized supervision, and faculty guidance while applying DBT‑informed interventions in your setting.
Finale – Credential
Upon successful completion and demonstration of competency, earn your DBT-Informed Music Therapist designation and 100 CMTE credits.
Your Training Includes:
100 CMTE credits through comprehensive, year-long professional training
A complete DBT skills foundation through self-study classes, readings, and experiential activities
Weekly live online training with DBT-trained music therapy faculty for skills practice, clinical application, and real-time feedback
Hands-on implementation support to confidently integrate DBT skills into your music therapy practice
Structured supervision, mentoring, and consultation with experienced DBT-informed music therapists
Peer collaboration in a supportive learning community of fellow music therapists
Proven music-based DBT interventions to enhance client engagement and help skills stick
DBT-Informed Music Therapist designation upon successful completion and demonstration of competency
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & BONUSES:
1-year DBT Music Therapy Resource Hub membership
for session planning and use in therapy
Neurodiversity & modified DBT techniques training
2 tickets to virtual DBT MT retreat
for new ideas and strategies on using DBT with various populations
Online community and additional opportunities for feedback
FAST ACTION BONUSES:
1. Complimentary Ethics CMTE Class
Meets your ethics recertification requirement.
Exclusive bonus when you enroll and make your payment during your discovery call.
2. Six-Week Mindfulness Program Template
A ready-to-use mindfulness program complete with with 25+ music interventions, assessments, and treatment plans.
Early Bird Bonus: Enroll by March 9, 2027, to receive this bonus at no additional cost.
In this program, you are not just paying for training - you are investing in a year of expert mentorship, a full DBT skills foundation, music therapy applications, and a supportive professional network that will serve you for years to come.
Your investment covers the full year-long DBT Informed Music Therapy Training, all 100 CMTEs, and every included bonus. Spots are intentionally limited to keep the training personal and interactive.
To open a detailed program page with exact dates...click below:
Tuition
Total Training Value
= $ 12,445
Your Investment:
$5,000
When paid in full
Pay in full and save $500
or
$1,000 deposit
+ 12 monthly payments of $375
This program is for clinicians who already hold a credential as a Board Certified Music Therapist
(or a credential in another discipline such as art therapy, dance therapy, recreation therapy). *
Need Employer Funding?
Many music therapists receive full or partial funding from their employers. We've created resources to help you make the case for investing in your professional growth.
1. Reserve Your Seat Before Employer Approval
Secure your place in the Spring 2027 cohort with a deposit while you arrange employer funding. You don't have to wait until you've asked your employer or received approval.
2. Ask Your Employer for Funding
Use our customizable script to explain the value of the training and request financial support.
[Download ask your boss Script]
3. Share the Employer Overview
Give your employer a clear overview of the training, its benefits, and how it can support your clients and organization.
[Download one pager for employer] (Print it or email it directly to your decision‑maker.)
[Visit the Employer Overview Page] (TheSpiegelAcademy.com/employers)
Need to Discuss This Investment With Your Partner?
If your partner is part of your decision-making process, we've created a simple resource to help you share your goals, explain the value of the training, and talk through this investment in your professional future.
Course Materials (not included in tuition):
DBT Skills Training Manual, Third Edition - $72
DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Third Edition - $48
Creative DBT Activities Using Music: Interventions for Enhancing Engagement and Effectiveness in Therapy $30
Our commitment is to support music therapists in making a greater impact.
We are eager to collaborate with you to make your participation a reality.
Satisfaction Guarantee
We want you to feel confident in your decision to invest in your professional growth.
Beginning with your first live orientation session, you'll have 14 days to decide whether this training is right for you.
If you decide it's not the right fit, we'll refund your tuition, minus the value of any self-study courses or other training you've accessed and completed for credit.
After the 14-day period, your tuition may be transferred to other eligible classes in our catalog, subject to our transfer policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be able to run DBT skills groups as a result of this training?
The multiple layers of this program give you the ground work to learn, understand, and apply DBT skills in your practice.
The curriculum is designed to delve into DBT skills straight from Linehan’s work through independent reading, working the skills step by step to deepen ways to understand, practice verbiage to teach them, explore personal use in a skills-training group like setting, and practice application as a music therapist.
Supervision rounds out the training over several months to solidify and strengthen confidence in teaching DBT skills in your music therapy practice in meaningful application.
What if I have little or no previous experience with DBT?
You don't need previous DBT training to participate! We start with foundational self-study classes that introduce the core DBT skills and how they can be integrated into music therapy.
From there, you'll build your knowledge and confidence through weekly live training, experiential practice, supervision, and consultation.
Whether you're completely new to DBT or have already begun exploring it, the program is designed to help you develop the skills to confidently apply DBT in your music therapy practice.
How much time will it take?
About 6-8 hours a month.
The first month is for completing the self-study classes. Month 2-12 you'll attend weekly meetings (Monday nights) and complete monthly assignments for learning the skills and how to implement them through music therapy.
Is there any research on DBT and Music Therapy?
In a recent study completed at Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital, a music therapist and a psychologist compared traditional DBT skills groups with skills training that included music therapy. The results on client outcomes were favorable for music. The results were published in the Journal of Music Therapy.
Lauren Bonavitacola wrote about research in the introduction to the book Creative DBT Activities Using Music: Interventions for Enhancing Engagement and Effectiveness in Therapy. You can read what she wrote here.
Who teaches this training, and what are their qualifications?
Your training is guided and supported by a team of experienced music therapists and DBT-trained clinicians who bring extensive clinical expertise and practical experience integrating DBT into music therapy.
Deborah Spiegel, MT-BC (Program Co-Founder & Director)
Board-certified music therapist with over four decades of experience, integrating DBT into clinical practice since 2001. Deborah co-developed the training curriculum, provides foundational instruction through recorded classes, and oversees the program. She is also author of Creative DBT Activities Using Music and Creative DBT Activities for Children Using Music.
Dr. Lauren Bonavitacola, PsyD, MT-BC (Program Co-Founder & Senior Clinical Advisor)
Co-created the DBT-Informed Music Therapy Training curriculum with Deborah Spiegel. A DBT-Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinician and co-author of Creative DBT Activities Using Music and Creative DBT Activities for Children Using Music, she now serves as Senior Clinical Advisor, providing high-level clinical consultation and guidance.
Suzanne Makary, MT-BC (Participant Supervisor & DBT Skills Instructor)
DBT-informed music therapist with extensive experience in adult mental health. Suzanne developed a curriculum integrating daily DBT skills training into the Innovations Partial Hospital Program at St. Luke's University Health Network. She is also co-author of Creative DBT Activities Using Music and Creative DBT Activities for Children Using Music.
Lindsey Landeck, MT-BC (Participant Supervisor & DBT-Trained Music Therapist)
DBT Coordinator at Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital, where she integrates DBT into music therapy and trains staff in DBT skills. She has contributed to research, presented at national and international conferences, and collaborated on a book chapter about creative arts therapies in DBT.
Stephen King, MT-BC (Implementation & Q&A Facilitator)
Integrates DBT into his music therapy practice, both in person and through telehealth. He co-facilitates implementation groups and Q&A sessions with Lindsey Landeck, helping participants confidently apply DBT skills in their clinical work.
Bailey Hinz, MA, MT-BC, LPMT, LMSW, CSW-I (Training Facilitator & DBT-Informed Music Therapist)
Music therapist and social worker with master's degrees in both fields. She facilitates DBT skills groups, integrating music therapy in private practice and adolescent partial hospitalization settings.
Kelly Howard, MT-BC (Operations Manager & DBT Programs Coordinator)
Graduate of The Spiegel Academy's DBT-Informed Music Therapy Training, Kelly oversees operations for our DBT programs and supports participants throughout their training, from enrollment through completion. She brings firsthand experience integrating DBT skills into music therapy practice.
Does DBT only apply to borderline personality disorder?
Not at all. While DBT was originally developed for borderline personality disorder, it’s now used effectively with a wide range of diagnoses and in many settings - including schools, prisons, addiction recovery programs, and general mental health care.
Music therapists and other clinicians also use DBT skills with children, adolescents, adults, and seniors; in hospice; with hospital staff; for wellness and self-development; and with clients of varying abilities.
Here are examples from music therapists who have successfully integrated DBT into diverse settings and populations:
MT in Residential Treatment for Children with Cognitive Delays & Challenging Behaviors - "Bringing what I learned back to the kids, and using it on myself has helped a lot with difficulties in sessions. This is definitely something they need and I was able to adapt it like I adapt anything I do with them."
Chelsea Josephson MT-BC
Adult Acute Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program - "This training refreshed me with a lot of new ideas, a new direction, and a good understanding. I really appreciated not just reading about it, but the videos and the live feedback. It was very validating because sometimes being the only music therapist you feel on an island by yourself."
Suzanne Makary MT-BC
Adolescent Residential Care: Mental Health w/ Criminal Charges - "I LOVE DBT skills. They are helpful for anybody on so many levels."
Victoria Mierlak MT-BC
Is this training worth it for me?
Having this skillset is a really important way to expand the way you can help your clients. When you invest in yourself its going to apply to not only to any clinical work that you do but to help you in your own life. You can be a role model for people in your life and watch the impact you make.
Not Sure? Lets Talk!
Schedule a Discovery Call With Kelly Howard, MT-BC
Kelly has completed the DBT-Informed Music Therapy Training herself and would be happy to answer your questions, discuss your goals, and help you decide whether this training is right for you.
Join the movement as we combine DBT skills with
music therapy to help your clients
"build a life worth living!"