The Australian DBT Institute provides professional development opportunities for Mental Health Professionals seeking to become proficient in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy approaches. Our approach has been developed in collaboration with Australian public health and private sector providers, as well as clinical research, clinical experts, consumers, and carers. Our team is led by experienced practitioners who have received training, mentoring, and development from Marsha Linehan’s team at Behavioral Tech LLC (2004-8) in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) as well as training, mentoring, and development from Radically Open Ltd (2022 to current) in Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO DBT).

The Australian DBT Institute has led high-fidelity DBT programs since 2004 through the Essentia Health Clinics in Melbourne, Sydney, the Gold Coast, 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.