Welcome to the Australian DBT Institute

Providing Leadership in
DBT & Radically Open DBT

The Australian DBT Institute is a specialist service established in 2004. We provide Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Radically Open DBT through our DBT Clinics in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and online. We are also Australia's longest established provider of education, mentoring and development of mental health professionals in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Since 2022 we have been collaborating with Radically Open Ltd to train and develop mental health professionls in Radically Open DBT and deliver clinical services through our DBT Clinics.

INTENSIVE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY RETREATS

INTENSIVE RETREATS IN THAILAND AND URBAN RETREATS IN THE GOLD COAST!

The Australian DBT Institute's Individual and Family Retreat Programs have been running since 2010! Our program supports individuals and their families to gain vital stabilisation strategies through an intensive retreat outside the individual's and/or families usual environment.

Our Clinical Services

DBT Clinics in Melbourne, Sydney & Online!

The Australian DBT Institute has led high-fidelity DBT programs since 2004 through the Essentia Health Clinics in Melbourne, Sydney, and online via Telehealth. The Australian DBT Institute’s adapted approach includes a baseline assessment of over-control and under-control coping to best determine the most suitable therapeutic approach (RO DBT for maladaptive over-control presentations and DBT for maladaptive under-control presentations) in our clinical and teaching programs. Our approach is compatible with Australian Health Care standards providing consumers and health professionals alike with a DBT approach that is both trauma-informed and recovery-focused. Our clinical programs have included comprehensive DBT, Radically Open DBT, as well as modified DBT programs for specific populations including youth, carers, Indigenous Australians, correctional settings, and psychiatric emergency settings.

DBT

DBT is an evidence based therapeutic approach that targets maladaptive undercontrol.

RO DBT

Radically Open DBT is an evidence based therapeutic approach that targets maladaptive overcontrol.

DBT CLINICS

Our DBT clinics provide clients access to DBT, Radically Open DBT & Safe Trauma Therapy!

TRAINING

Educating over 1,000 professionals annually in DBT, RO DBT & Trauma Therapy Approaches!
We are seeking expressions of interest from practitioners wishing to attend a DBT Foundations Workshop (Youth Adaptions)

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - ADELAIDE WORKSHOP (YOUTH DBT ADAPTIONS)!

2025 Professional Development Opportunities

DBT Essentials Workshops
Youth Adaptions in DBT
Stabilisation Based DBT
Comprehensive Training
Supervision

Essentials in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Workshop

This workshop explores provides mental health professionals and counsellors with the essential components of DBT including commitment, individual therapy & skills training. This approach is suitable for individuals presenting with maladaptive under controlled coping including those with a diagnosis of BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Binge Eating.

Melbourne Workshop July 3rd & 4th, 2025 | Brisbane October 13th & 14th, 2025 | Sydney Workshop October 20th & 21st, 2025 | Webinars over 10 weeks from June 2025

Youth Adaptions in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

This workshop explores provides mental health professionals and counsellors with the youth based adaptions to DBT including commitment, individual therapy & skills training. This approach is suitable for youth presenting with maladaptive under controlled coping including those with a diagnosis of BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Binge Eating.

Proposed Youth adaptions Workshop in Adelaide on the 14th & 15th July 2025!

DBT Informed Stabilisation Based Approaches

This workshop explores provides mental health professionals and counsellors with a DBT informed stabilisation approach for managing individuals in crisis. This approach is suitable for individuals presenting with maladaptive under controlled coping including those with a diagnosis of BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Binge Eating.

Online Program Coming Soon!

DBT Comprehensive Training Program over 12 months

This workshop explores provides mental health professionals and counsellors with comprehensive understanding of DBT including commitment, individual therapy & skills training. Participants can become Credentialed DBT Practitioners through this program. This approach is suitable for individuals presenting with maladaptive under controlled coping including diagnosis of BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Binge Eating.

EOI Adelaide for program commencing July 2025 | Online Program from September 2025 | Melbourne Program from October 2025 | Sydney Program from October 2025

Supervision in DBT & Trauma Informed Approaches

The Australian DBT Institute has provided supervision to mental health professionals since 2003 in DBT and trauma informed approaches. We offer our Supervision program individually, as part of a team or through groups via Zoom or Microsoft Teams!

Individual Supervision | Online Group Supervision | Supervision to Organisations

Australian DBT Institute's DBT & RO DBT approach!

Are your clients presenting as OC or UC?

The Australian DBT Institute's research into the effectiveness of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) uncovered the need for an approach that targeted a whole population of clients who found that DBT was not meeting expectations. So rather than offering DBT as a one size fits all solution, the DBT Institute has developed our recommended approach that now includes three seperate therapeutic approaches for three distinct client populations.

  • Individuals presenting with maldative under control the recommend approach is trauma informed Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT-TI).
  • Individuals presenting with maldative over control the recommend approach is Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO DBT)
  • Individuals presenting with complex trauma presentations the recommended approach is Stabilisation Based Therapy.

Why Assess for OC & UC?

Assessing an individual's coping style before commencing a DBT or Radically Open DBT program can help identify usual coping patterns, informing the identification of the most appropriate therapeutic intervention, and contribute to a better understanding of how an individual manages stress and challenges.

What is a OC presentation?

Diagnostic presentations such as refractory depression, autism, anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are considered the spectrum of disorders characterised by excessive inhibitory control or overcontrol (OC). Radically Open DBT is an evidence based therapeutic approach that targets maladaptive overcontrol.

What is a UC presentation?

Diagnostic presentations such as borderline personality disorder, substance misuse disorders, binge eating, ADHD, and bipolar are considered the spectrum of disorders characterised by emotion dysregulation or undercontrol (UC). DBT is an evidence based therapeutic approach that targets maladaptive undercontrol.

Australian DBT Institute's Services

DBT Workshops

Since 2004 the Australian DBT Institute has delivered professional development workshops throughout the Asia Pacific Region. Our workshops include Foundations in DBT, Essentials in DBT and DBT Comprehensive Training Programs.
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RO DBT Workshops

The Australian DBT Institute works in collaboration with Radically Open Ltd to offer annual training in Radically Open DBT. Our 2024 RO DBT training will include an Introduction to RO DBT, Clinical Case Studies in RO DBT, Webinars in RO DBT and Level 3 Training!

DBT Clinics & Retreats

Our DBT Clinics are fee for service clinics with DBT & RO DBT credentialed practitioners who offer DBT & RO DBT skills classes and individual therapy. Our clinics are located in Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and online!
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Workplace Training

The Australian DBT Institute provides training to a range of mental health and community based services each year. Our programs range from one day workshops to Zoom based webinars and all the way to full program implementation training.

Supervision

The Australian DBT Supervision program has been running since 2010 with our practitioners offering a range of supervision options from individual supervision to consultation teams and group supervision arrangements.
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Consultancy

We have developed a range of mental health service models in addition to DBT and RO DBT Services. Our consultancy has included program development in forensic, public mental health, community based services, and private health.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the ADBTI's approach evidence based?

Yes, there is evidence for all three of our therapeutic approaches with DBT and RO DBT also supported by the research rigor of Randomised Clinical Trials. Our trauma informed approach has been validated by Ph.D. research, treatment outcome measures and is informed by the Somatic Trauma Therapy approach documented in Babette Rothschild's text The Body Remembers

Is your team intensively trained?

Our team's leadership have been intensively trained in DBT by Beahvioral Tech LLC and intensively trained in RO DBT by Radically Open Ltd. In addition, our team has been intensively trained in Somatic Trauma Therapy through Babette Rothschild.

Are you a government funded organisation?

No, we are a private organisation. Our structure follows that of leading international training and development organisations of therapeutic approaches. We do hold contracts with a number of government agencies however remain independent and committed to the development of the mental health sector in the use of DBT, RO DBT and Safe Trauma Therapy approaches. 

ADBTI's Mission

Through collaboration, education, and innovation, we aim to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals facing mental ill health, supporting individuals in a journey towards resilience, recovery, and a meaningful life.

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