Earlier this year, YFI Founder and Clinical Director Marcus Rodriguez, PhD, co-taught a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive for 85 psychiatrists and psychologists in Indonesia, alongside fellow Behavioral Tech Institute trainers Drs. Carla Walton, Emily Cooney, and Tony DuBose.
What is a DBT Intensive?
Participants complete two week-long trainings (total 10 days) separated by 6–12 months. Between sessions, teams apply DBT in real settings and return with data, challenges, and questions. For this cohort, Dr. Rodriguez is providing monthly consultation to 4 of the 8 newly formed Indonesian DBT teams—helping translate principles into daily practice and sustain momentum.
This initiative is a collaboration with the Indonesian DBT leadership team—Drs. Alvin Saputra, Darien Alfa Cipta, Leslie Melisa, and Putri Rosarie—whose scholarship and commitment are accelerating access to evidence-based care.
What’s happening now
The group met last night to review participant feedback and plan next steps for implementation, including:
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strengthening program structures (intake, skills groups, consultation teams)
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defining outcome measures and fidelity checks
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building local training capacity to support additional hospitals and clinics
“It’s an honor to be part of the dissemination efforts bringing life-saving treatment to Indonesia,” notes Dr. Rodriguez. As the fourth most populous country, Indonesia’s DBT expansion has the potential to impact millions of families navigating emotion dysregulation, self-harm risk, and complex comorbidities.
Why it matters
YFI’s dissemination work aims to expand access to effective care where it’s most needed. Intensive training paired with ongoing consultation helps teams:
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Implement core DBT components with fidelity (individual therapy, skills training, phone coaching, consultation team)
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Adapt workflows to local systems and cultures
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Build sustainable supervision and peer learning
If your organization is exploring DBT or CBT trainings, we’re happy to share curricula options and implementation guidance tailored to your setting.
If your teen or family is navigating anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, self-harm, suicide risk, or ADHD, YFI offers evidence-based DBT and CBT for adolescents and families. We serve communities across Newport Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, and Palos Verdes Estates, and throughout Greater Los Angeles. Contact us to learn more or request training.
