International Society
for the Improvement and Teaching
of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
ISITDBT Will Hold its 31st Annual Conference On November 12, 2026
What is ISITDBT?
ISITDBT is the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. It is a volunteer organization with the sole task of organizing an annual conference to bring together DBT clinicians from around the US and around the globe.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a system of behavior therapy developed by Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, a professor of psychology and a researcher at the University of Washington, to treat people with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques for emotion regulation with concepts of distress tolerance, acceptance, and mindful awareness largely derived from Zen practice.
Annual Conference
The first ISITDBT conference was held in 1996 and was chaired by Dr. Charles Swenson. The ISITDBT conference aims to provide workshops for clinical development of DBT skills or DBT program development, as well as research panels to disseminate information about the ongoing evidence base that underlies DBT.
The ISITDBT conference is held on the Thursday of the annual conference of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).
Purpose of ISITDBT
The purpose of ISITDBT is to advance a scientific approach to the understanding and amelioration of emotion regulation problems across a continuum, from severe and high risk mental disorders and suicidality to other challenges related to emotion regulation. This is accomplished by improving access to DBT through teaching DBT effectively and according to standards of fidelity and holding conferences focused on the advancement of DBT. ISITDBT is pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as an organization focused exclusively on charitable, scientific, and educational purposes.