Struggling to manage emotions, stress or relationships? Discover how DBT skills like mindfulness, radical acceptance and validation can transform your life. In this episode, psychologist Dr. Kiki Felling breaks down Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and shows you how to apply these powerful tools in everyday situations.

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Learn more about Kiki: https://www.kikifehling.com/

Dr. Felling explains the four core DBT modules—mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness—and why they matter. She defines mindfulness as being fully present without judgement, paying attention to sensations, thoughts and feelings to tap into your inner wisdom. You’ll learn that distress tolerance skills aren’t about fixing problems but surviving the toughest moments; radical acceptance allows you to acknowledge reality so pain doesn’t turn into suffering. She demonstrates crisis‑survival techniques like grounding with cold water, self‑soothing objects and personalized coping kits. In the emotion‑regulation section, Dr. Felling shows how to understand, use or change feelings and build resilience by accumulating positive experiences. The video also covers interpersonal effectiveness—assertiveness, boundaries, and validation. Validation, she says, is the superpower that reduces conflict and deepens relationships. Throughout the conversation she reminds us that mindfulness is the foundation of every skill and that the ultimate goal is to create a “life worth living” defined by your own values.

If you’re ready to stop reacting and start responding, this episode offers practical DBT strategies you can use right away. Like, comment and share your own experiences with these skills, subscribe for more mental‑health insights, and check out our related videos on emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – What Is DBT & Who Is It For?
02:25 – Mindfulness Skills Beyond Meditation
05:45 – Distress Tolerance & Radical Acceptance
09:30 – Pain vs. Suffering: Accepting Reality
13:00 – Crisis Survival Skills & The Coping Kit
17:40 – Regulating Your Nervous System (TIP Skills)
22:30 – Emotion Regulation & ABC PLEASE Skills
27:15 – Naming Your Emotions & The Emotion Dictionary
31:50 – Interpersonal Effectiveness & Boundaries
35:20 – The Power of Validation
39:00 – Mindfulness: The Foundation of All Skills
41:30 – Creating a Life Worth Living & Final Thoughts

❓ Questions the Video Answers:

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy and how does it help with emotion regulation?

What are the four core DBT skills modules?

How does mindfulness differ from meditation in DBT?

What are the “observe” and “describe” mindfulness skills?

What is radical acceptance and why is it crucial for distress tolerance?

How can accepting pain prevent it from turning into suffering?

What are crisis survival skills and how can they help during intense urges?

What should be in a distress tolerance kit?

How does the “tip your temperature” ice‑water technique reset your nervous system?

What are ABC PLEASE skills and how do they build emotional resilience?

How can someone learn to identify and name their emotions?

What are interpersonal effectiveness skills and why are they important?

Why is validation considered a relationship superpower?

How can mindfulness be practiced in everyday life beyond sitting meditation?

What does it mean to create a life worth living and how does DBT help you define it?

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