About DBT House
DBT House was established as a resource to provide education and inspiration to clinicians seeking to expand their knowledge of DBT. Our approach to DBT training is distinguished by the experiential element we incorporate into our programs. Our core Skills Training Courses are 12 and 18 weeks long, allowing participants to gain practical experience by engaging in a Skills Group as a client would (mixed with clinical discussion and application). This immersive approach enables clinicians to acquire the skills necessary to effectively apply DBT in their practice. Join us at DBT House and elevate your DBT training to the level.
Message from the Founder:
DBT is not just a set of skills, but rather a way of living. A way of thinking. Knowing DBT has enriched my life greatly, both professionally and personally.
I entered into the field of DBT with a fair amount training, but what I discovered when I first started was that my clients knew the skills better than I did! Why? Because they were the ones in Skills Groups every week practicing skills between sessions. They had more PRACTICE using the skills therefore they knew them better. What became essential for my learning was participating in DBT Skills Group myself alongside my clients and colleagues. Our hope at DBT HOUSE is to be able to share our love of DBT with others by providing a similar experiential learning experience.
- Hailey Goldberg MSW, RSW, DBT-LBC Clinician
Our Skills Trainers
Hailey Goldberg
MSW, RSW, DBT-LBC,
Certified Clinician™
DBT HOUSE Founder & Skills Trainer
DBT HOUSE is founded and operated by Hailey Goldberg. Hailey completed her Master's of Social Work from University of Windsor and is one of the few Canadian certified DBT clinicians by the Linehan Board of Certification™. Hailey is an experienced and extensively trained Social Worker (MSW), who has assisted individuals work through a wide range of mental health challenges. She specializes in Borderline Personality Disorder, Anxiety, and issues related to emotion dysregulation. Her career as a Social Worker began as a crisis support worker on a mobile crisis team, where she encountered a diverse range of individuals in need. It was during these experiences that she discovered the universal applicability of the DBT skills, igniting her interest in this therapeutic modality. From there, Hailey has supported folks using DBT in a variety of therapeutic settings, including outpatient hospitals, hospital emergency departments, community mental health agencies, and private practice. In addition to leading trainings at DBT HOUSE, Hailey operates a private therapy practice (HRG Counselling), which services individuals in Ontario and Alberta. Hailey loves DBT and is a firm believer that absolutely everyone can benefit from practicing DBT skills.
Hailey's Favourite DBT Skill:
I love the STOP skill. I have found it incredibly helpful for me when my mind is running, especially when engaging I'm late-night ruminating, or feeling overwhelmed by parenting demands. The STOP skill allows me to take pause and connect with myself and my surroundings in a mindful way. After STOPing I feel better able to return to myself and face the world around me in a more skillful way.
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Rama Arora-Persaud
Occupational Therapist, OT, Reg
DBT Skills Trainer
Rama is a registered Occupational Therapist, Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience working in mental health care. She received her Bachelors of Science (BSc) in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto and Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. Rama was first introduced to DBT in 2011 when she completed the intensive training program through Behavioural Tech, LLC and joined an adherent DBT team in an outpatient setting. She has experience providing DBT to teens and their families, and adults in private practice . Rama truly believes that in life there are no shortage of opportunities to use DBT skills as they are about Doing Better Today and as humans we all could benefit from that!
Rama's Favourite DBT Skill:
My favourite skill is pairing a half smile with willing hands. This skill allows one to accept reality with both mind and body. I use this skill when I wake up in the morning to get me out of bed and moving. I also use this skill when I find myself getting annoyed by a situation or person(s) and need to be able to tolerate some uncertainty without my ego getting in the way! This one skill has allowed me to accept many moments in both my personal and professional life more gracefully and wholeheartedly.
Amanda Buckingham is a Registered Social Worker who received her Master’s Degree from the University of Toronto. After working in eating disorders for some time, she fell in love with DBT during her clinical placement at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in their Borderline Personality Disorder Clinic. Following that, she worked on an adherent DBT team for 3 years, and now continues to provide outpatient individual therapy as well as skills groups through private practice. She is also the founder of the virtual clinic Open Concepts Therapy, where she provides Radically Open DBT (RO DBT) to people who struggle with perfectionism, rigidity, and emotional loneliness. She believes that regardless of age or diagnosis, these skills can help us be more effective human beings!
Amanda's Favourite DBT Skill:
My favourite skill is definitely Opposite Action which means doing the opposite of what your emotion is telling you to do. I find myself using it constantly, whether I'm dealing with anxiety about leading a DBT house group, or noticing the urge to stay in bed after being in Covid lockdown for so long. This skill allows us to experience our emotions, AND gives us the power to turn down their intensity by making the conscious decision to do the exact opposite of what they are telling us to do. Opposite Action all the way!
Amanda Buckingham
MSW, RSW
DBT Skills Trainer
Megan is a Registered Social Worker. She completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Windsor. She has extensive clinical and leadership experience in a variety of settings including hospitals, community agencies and comprehensive DBT clinics. She has provided various models of treatment in her private practice and has recently been involved in providing mental health and self compassion training to the Durham Regional Police’s Peer Support Team. Megan is committed to using evidence-based approaches and working collaboratively with clients and families. She has a passion for DBT skills groups and in increasing equitable access to diverse communities. She currently leads a 2SLGBTQ+ Affirming DBT Skills Group and loves to see how these skills can help us all accept, navigate and change experiences in our environments.
Megan's Favourite DBT Skill:
My favourite DBT skill is Radical Acceptance. This skill allows me to lean into a moment of difficulty and acknowledge what is happening and then root myself in acceptance with my heart, mind and body. It’s opening to say ‘yes’ to hard moments when the urge to say ‘no’ can often create more suffering and resentment. This skill has truly been life changing for me and my relationships. I can’t wait to share these experiences with the participants in the DBT House groups!
Megan Cameron
MSW, RSW
DBT Skills Trainer
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Dylan Zambrano, MSW is the founder of DBT Virtual, an online dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) practice servicing multiple Canadian provinces, including Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia. He has several years of experience working on a DBT team within an outpatient mental health hospital setting, and provides DBT training, consultation and supervision to mental health therapists and organizations. He is the author of The DBT Skills Daily Journal, a book that combines guided journaling with DBT skills-building. Dylan also teaches courses in mindfulness and compassion meditation at the University of Toronto.
Dylan's Favourite DBT Skill:
As a mindfulness educator I've always been a proponent of mindfulness practice. One of my favourite DBT mindfulness skills is Observe. Observing our experiences strengthens our capacity to readily notice and be with difficulty. It is in this space of awareness that we have the agency to respond more effectively. I believe observing is the first step to changing habitual responses to the things happening around us and within us.
Dylan Zambrano
MSW, RSW
DBT Skills Trainer
