DBT Ozarks

03/19/2026

Here is a simple, practical tool for navigating emotionally intense conversations.

This is a 5-minute reset you can use when a conversation starts to escalate, whether that’s with a partner, family member, or someone you care about.

It walks you through:

* how to pause your own nervous system
* how to recognize what the other person might be feeling
* how to respond in a way that reduces escalation instead of adding to it

This is something I teach often, because most of us were never actually taught how to stay grounded in hard conversations.

There’s no email required, just follow the link and use it however you would like. More info on the upcoming family communication class is included.

--Kristen DBT Ozarks/DBT Hub

03/17/2026

We are offering a small live online class this spring:
Family Communication Skills for Emotionally Intense Relationships

This is an educational class focused on teaching practical DBT-informed communication and validation skills.

It’s designed for people who are often in the role of trying to stay regulated while navigating emotionally intense conversations with someone they care about.

Great for parents, partners, and friends of people who experience big emotions and emotional sensitivity.

The format is intentionally structured:
– live teaching
– real-life examples
– no personal sharing required (chat only)

Mondays | 6:00–7:00 PM CT
April 13 • April 20 • April 27 • May 4

A DBT skills group for parents, partners, and other caregivers of people with Borderline Personality Disorder and other conditions impacting emotion regulation. Meets online and open to residents of Missouri.

03/15/2026

Our email is back up but the website is still down on the front end. Feel free to use this temporary link to our site for now!

We are committed to helping you develop coping skills to survive the emotional storms, regulate your mood, improve relationships, and grow your mindfulness skills.

03/13/2026

Our website and some emails are down currently. We are actively working to resolve our tech issues. Feel free to reach out to kristen@dbtozarks.org with any questions.

03/11/2026

Check out our current skill groups and schedule a call for us to talk more! Additional evening and weekend programming coming soon. https://www.dbtozarks.org/skillsgroups

03/10/2026

Did you know that DBT therapists aren’t meant to practice alone?

One of the core components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy is the consultation team, often described as “therapy for the therapist.” In the DBT model, clinicians meet weekly to strengthen their skills, stay aligned with the model, and support each other through complex clinical needs.

This structure exists because DBT is powerful work and providing it with fidelity requires ongoing consultation, collaboration, and accountability with other clinicians practicing the model. Research and training standards emphasize that consultation teams help therapists maintain motivation, strengthen their clinical decision-making, and stay grounded in the treatment framework.

Because many private practice therapists don’t have access to this kind of structured support, we offer a virtual DBT consultation team through DBT Hub (by DBT Ozarks), open to clinicians practicing DBT across the United States.

This team focuses on:
• strengthening adherence to the DBT model
• consultation using the DBT hierarchy
• brief didactic teaching to deepen clinical application
• collaborative support for therapists doing demanding clinical work

If you're a therapist working with emotionally dysregulated clients and want ongoing consultation grounded in the DBT model, you can learn more here:

🔗 https://www.dbtozarks.org/jointheteam

03/03/2026

I’m so excited to share that we will be offering a 2 CEU experiential training in Lawrence, KS in on April 7th, focused on embodied mindfulness and plant-based interventions for clinical practice.

This training is designed for therapists who:

• Love experiential work
• Work with clients who struggle to get out of rumination-mode
• Want practical, embodied mindfulness tools
• Are curious about integrating simple, grounded plant-based practices into session

It will be hands-on, reflective, and very clinically grounded with tools you can actually use the next day in practice.

I’d be so grateful if you’d share this with any therapist friends in the Lawrence, Topeka, or the Kansas City areas who might enjoy it. Stay tuned for the next Springfield training date and upcoming virtual options.

https://www.dbtozarks.org/plantmindfulnesstraining

02/18/2026

I have 3 openings for the next round of our Horticultural Therapy DBT coping skills group! Tuesdays 6-7:30pm with an 8 week commitment. Learn to cope as a sensitive person while working with plants! Link in comments.

01/28/2026

Last night in skills group, we planted Zinnia seeds and practiced tending to the present.

The present moment is the only place where change can happen.

It’s where we learn from the past and lay the foundation for the future. 🌱

We have a couple spots open in our Tuesday night skills group. More information here: https://www.dbtozarks.org/planttherapygroup

01/22/2026

The next plant meditation night at DBT Ozarks is 2/8/26. This month's gathering holds space for those impacted by the emotional weight of current events in our country (and beyond), as well as the uncertainty they create by offering grounding, care, and reconnection in a time that asks much of our nervous systems.

This event is open to all adults, 18+. No meditation experience necessary as this is often attended by beginners! 🪴🧘‍♀️

12/18/2025

Gentle Support for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Supporting Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t mean doing more.

Often, it means:
• lowering expectations
• increasing warmth and light
• grounding the body
• slowing the pace
• practicing nonjudgmental awareness

Nature models this beautifully.

Plants don’t push through winter. They rest, conserve, and repair.

Humans are allowed to do the same.

Tomorrow I’ll share how we’re working with this idea in a small, plant-centered meditation.

12/17/2025

Signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t always look like sadness.

It often looks like:
• wanting to sleep more
• low motivation
• emotional flatness
• brain fog
• social withdrawal
• craving comfort

Many people judge themselves for these changes.

But winter affects the nervous system, not your worth or character.

Support starts with understanding. Understanding starts with self-compassion.