RO DBT & DBT Retreats in Phuket

Evidence-Based Therapy, Nervous System Safety, and Real-World Integration

Phuket has long been a place people travel to rest and reset—but our RO DBT and DBT retreats are designed for something deeper: structured psychological change, stabilisation, and skills integration, grounded in contemporary evidence-based practice.

Whether you are an individual seeking meaningful therapeutic growth or a mental-health professional wanting immersive CPD, our retreats blend clinical integrity, trauma-informed care, and intentional retreat design—all within a setting that naturally supports nervous system regulation.

Why a DBT & RO DBT Retreat?

Traditional therapy happens in short weekly sessions. Retreats allow something different—and powerful—to occur:

  • – sustained skills practice across consecutive days
  • – reduced environmental stressors
  • – real-time coaching and integration
  • – space for reflection, rest, and consolidation

Our retreats are not therapy holidays. They are structured, clinically informed programs that respect boundaries, safety, and scope—while offering depth that weekly sessions often can’t.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Skills for Stability and Change

DBT is a gold-standard, evidence-based approach for emotion dysregulation, chronic stress, relationship difficulties, and trauma-related patterns.

In our DBT retreats, participants work with:

  • – emotion regulation skills
  • – distress tolerance and crisis survival strategies
  • – interpersonal effectiveness
  • – mindfulness and attention training
  • values-guided behavioural change

All content is delivered with a trauma-informed lens, recognising the role of threat systems, attachment patterns, and nervous system sensitivity.

The emphasis is always on practical application—how skills are used in daily life, not just understood intellectually.

Radically Open DBT (RO DBT): For Overcontrol, Loneliness, and Rigidity

RO DBT is specifically designed for individuals who struggle with overcontrol—including perfectionism, emotional inhibition, chronic loneliness, and excessive self-discipline.

Our RO DBT retreats focus on:

  • – increasing openness, flexibility, and social signalling
  • – reducing rigid coping strategies
  • – cultivating authentic connection
  • – working with shame, threat sensitivity, and social safety

RO DBT is particularly helpful for:

  • – professionals and high achievers
  • – individuals who “function well” but feel disconnected
  • – those who have tried other therapies without lasting relational change

The retreat format allows participants to practice openness in real time, within carefully structured and psychologically safe conditions.

Trauma-Informed by Design (Not Just in Theory)

Trauma-informed care is not a module—it is how the retreat is run.

Across all DBT and RO DBT retreats, we prioritise:

  • – choice and consent (participants may opt out of any exercise)
  • – predictable structure (clear schedules, expectations, and pacing)
  • – nervous system regulation (grounding, orienting, and stabilisation woven throughout)
  • – no pressure to disclose (learning never depends on personal revelation)

This creates a container where growth happens within the window of tolerance, not through overwhelm.

A Setting That Supports Regulation

Phuket offers more than scenery—it provides an environment that naturally supports recovery and learning.

Our retreats are hosted in quiet, thoughtfully chosen locations with:

  • – access to nature and fresh air
  • – low sensory load
  • – comfortable learning spaces
  • – opportunities for movement, rest, and reflection

The environment is intentionally aligned with DBT principles: effective, balanced, and humane.

For Individuals and Mental-Health Professionals

We offer different retreat streams depending on focus and audience.

Individual Retreats

Designed for adults seeking:

  • – emotional stability
  • – improved relationships
  • – trauma-informed skills
  • – meaningful personal change

These retreats are educational and skills-focused, not therapy or crisis treatment, and are suitable for individuals who are psychologically stable enough to engage in group learning.

Professional CPD Retreats

Designed for clinicians who want:

  • – immersive DBT or RO DBT learning
  • – trauma-informed adaptations for real-world practice
  • – embodied understanding of the model
  • – CPD hours in a restorative format

Professional retreats include explicit links to clinical application, therapist self-regulation, and ethical practice.

What Makes Our Retreats Different

Participants consistently tell us that what stands out is:

  • – clinical depth without intensity overload
  • – structure that creates safety rather than rigidity
  • – respect for professional and personal boundaries
  • integration of stabilisation, DBT, and RO DBT
  • – a pace that allows learning to land

This is not about dramatic breakthroughs—it’s about sustainable change.

After the Retreat: Integration and Support

Real change happens after you return home. Our retreats therefore include:

  • – guided reflection and consolidation
  • – values-based action planning
  • – optional follow-up resources or online materials
  • – clear guidance on how to continue practice safely

Participants leave with skills they can use, not just insights they felt.

A Thoughtful Invitation

Our RO DBT and DBT retreats in Phuket are for people who want evidence-based care delivered with humanity—for individuals and professionals who value structure and compassion, acceptance and change.

If you are looking for a retreat that is grounded, ethical, and genuinely transformative—without being overwhelming—we warmly invite you to explore our upcoming programs.

Places are intentionally limited to preserve safety, learning quality, and group cohesion.

Want to learn more about our DBT and RO DBT Retreats? We have programs commencing four times a year in May, July and October. Our individual therapists can usually see you within a week of your initial contact to go through the approach and retreat best for you!

You can get in contact with our team via email to intake@dbtclinics.com or go to our appointments page for more options at https://dbtclinics.com/appointments/

DBT Retreats for Families

Strengthening Safety, Connection, and Skills—Together

Family life can feel overwhelming when emotions run high, communication breaks down, or stress and trauma shape everyday interactions. Our Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Family Retreats are designed to support families to pause, stabilise, and rebuild skills together—in a way that is structured, compassionate, and genuinely practical.

Hosted in the tranquil surrounds of Phuket, our family DBT retreats combine evidence-based skills training with a setting that supports nervous system regulation, rest, and reconnection.

Why a DBT Retreat for Families?

Families often attend therapy in short weekly sessions, while real-life challenges unfold daily. A retreat offers something different:

  • – extended time to learn and practise DBT skills
  • – fewer external pressures and distractions
  • – opportunities to slow down reactive patterns
  • – space for shared reflection and repair

Our retreats are skills-based and psychoeducational, not family therapy intensives. The focus is on learning tools that families can use at home, rather than processing personal histories in a way that might feel unsafe or overwhelming.

What Families Learn

DBT is particularly well suited to family systems where emotions escalate quickly or feel hard to manage.

During the retreat, families learn and practise:

  • – emotion regulation skills to reduce reactivity and burnout
  • – distress tolerance strategies for high-stress moments
  • – mindfulness skills to slow interactions and increase awareness
  • – communication and validation skills that reduce conflict
  • – boundary-setting strategies that balance care and consistency

Skills are taught in clear, accessible language, with guided practice and real-life examples that families recognise immediately.

Trauma-Informed and Family-Sensitive

All family retreats are designed with a trauma-informed lens, recognising that families often carry cumulative stress, developmental trauma, or prolonged periods of crisis.

This means:

  • – predictable daily structure
  • – clear expectations and boundaries
  • – no pressure for disclosure or “sharing personal stories”
  • – choice and flexibility in participation
  • – regular grounding and regulation breaks

Safety—emotional and physical—is prioritised at every stage.

Accommodation Designed for Families

Families stay at the peaceful Patong Rai Rom Yen Resort, nestled away from the busier areas of Patong.

To support comfort, privacy, and rest, families can choose from:

  • – single rooms for individual family members
  • – or a two-bedroom, two-storey private house with a private plunge pool, ideal for families wanting shared space with the option to retreat and reset

This flexibility allows families to be together and have personal space—an essential balance for nervous system regulation and healthy interaction.

A Daily Rhythm That Supports Regulation

Each day follows a predictable, family-friendly structure:

  • – morning skills sessions
  • – breaks for rest, meals, or pool time
  • – short practice exercises rather than long lectures
  • – optional reflection activities
  • – afternoons and evenings free for family connection

This rhythm reduces overwhelm and helps families practise skills in real-world moments—during meals, downtime, or shared activities.

Not a Holiday — Not Exhausting Either

Our family DBT retreats are not therapy holidays; they are also not intensive clinical programs that leave families depleted.

The aim is:

  • – learning without overload
  • – structure without rigidity
  • – growth without pressure

Families often report leaving feeling more hopeful, more equipped, and more connected, rather than emotionally drained.

Who These Retreats Are For

Family DBT retreats are well suited for families who:

  • – experience frequent emotional escalation or conflict
  • – feel “stuck” in repeating patterns
  • – are navigating adolescent or young adult emotion dysregulation
  • – want practical tools rather than insight alone
  • – are stable enough to participate in group-based learning

They are not designed for families in acute crisis requiring immediate clinical intervention.

After the Retreat: Bringing Skills Home

Sustainable change happens after families return home. Each retreat therefore, focuses on:

  • – consolidating key skills
  • – identifying realistic next steps
  • – creating shared language around emotions and behaviour
  • – encouraging small, consistent changes rather than dramatic promises

Families leave with tools they can keep using, long after the retreat ends.

A Thoughtful Invitation

Our DBT Family Retreats in Phuket offer families a rare opportunity to step out of survival mode and into learning, stabilisation, and reconnection—within a calm, respectful, and evidence-based framework.

With thoughtfully designed accommodation, trauma-informed facilitation, and practical DBT skills, these retreats support families to move forward together—more regulated, more confident, and better equipped for everyday life.

Places are limited to preserve safety, learning quality, and a supportive group environment.

Want to learn more about our DBT and RO DBT Retreats? We have programs most of the year, depending on practitioner and accommodation availability. Our individual therapists can usually see you within a week of your initial contact to go through the approach and retreat best for you!

You can get in contact with our team via email to intake@dbtclinics.com or go to our appointments page for more options at https://dbtclinics.com/appointments/