Master Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills in Season 2 of Thriving With DBT

Think about the last time a conversation didn't go the way you wanted it to. Maybe you said yes when you meant no, backed down mid-sentence, or walked away from the conversation feeling unheard. Moments like that add up, and they're exactly why Interpersonal Effectiveness, a core part of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), exists as its own skill set. That's what Season 2 of Thriving With DBT is all about.

This new season focuses on the Interpersonal Effectiveness module, offering practical strategies to help you build healthier relationships and navigate difficult situations with confidence. Follow along as TheraHive co-founder Dr. Alicia Smart, PsyD sits down with a real student from our Adult DBT Skills Group and coaches them through actual moments of conflict and miscommunication happening in their lives. If you've ever wanted a real look at what DBT coaching sounds like, or you're just looking for a better way to speak up for yourself without blowing up the relationship, this podcast is for you.

What Is Thriving With DBT?

Thriving With DBT came out of something we heard over and over from people early in DBT: they understood a skill in the classroom, but had no idea what it looked like once real life got in the way. That gap between knowing a skill and actually using it is where most people get stuck, and it's the reason this podcast exists in the first place.

Every episode follows a real TheraHive student working through our 22-week DBT Skills Group program, one module at a time, with TheraHive co-founders Dr. Alicia Smart, PsyD or Dr. Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD coaching them through whatever is actually happening in their life that week. None of it is rehearsed beforehand because the point isn't a polished performance; it's an honest look at what it takes to use these skills when it counts.

TheraHive is a psychoeducational DBT program, not a therapy practice. This podcast grew out of that same belief that shapes everything we do: DBT skills should be available to everyone, not just people sitting across from a therapist. Tuning in gives you access to the kind of coaching that usually only happens inside a DBT group, wherever you happen to be listening.

Meet Your Hosts

Dr. Alicia Smart, PsyD is a Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinician™ and the Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer at TheraHive. She has spent her career making evidence-based DBT skills accessible to people who need them, bringing both clinical depth and genuine warmth to every episode.

Dr. Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD is also a Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinician™ and serves as Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at TheraHive. Jesse has a particular gift for translating complex DBT concepts into practical, livable guidance, the kind you can actually remember at 2:00pm on a Tuesday.

Together, they've built TheraHive on the belief that DBT skills are for everyone. This podcast is an extension of that mission.

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Skills for Speaking Up and Staying Connected

Interpersonal Effectiveness is the module built for the moments when what you say next actually matters, when you need to ask for something, say no, or bring up a problem without the conversation falling apart. It won't make the other person agree with you or guarantee a perfect outcome, but it gives you a real way to show up for yourself while still keeping the relationship intact.

In Season 2, you'll hear Alicia sit down with a real TheraHive student and work through skills like DEAR MAN, GIVE, validation, and more as they tackle whatever is actually going on in their relationships that week. By the end of this season, you'll walk away with a real feel for what these tools sound like in practice, plus a few new ones for the next time you need to speak up or repair something that's gone sideways.

Watch Season 2 Now

Thriving With DBT is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes drop weekly on Mondays. Check out the first episode of Season 2 below!

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