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Spain

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About Us

The Spanish DBT Association was created to connect, support, and empower professionals dedicated to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) across Spain. Although DBT practice began here in the early 2000s—with pioneering psychologists bringing their training from the United States to cities like Barcelona and Valencia—the community remained an informal network for many years. It mainly consisted of personal connections and occasional meetings at personality disorder conferences, where some DBT-related research was presented.

Everything changed in 2016 after a pivotal meeting in Vienna during the EESPD Congress. That meeting, which marked the genesis of the European DBT Association, brought together professionals from both the United States and Europe to explore formal collaboration. This event, which also inspired the creation of the World DBT Association (WDBTA), encouraged Spanish therapists to formalize their own national organization. Today, the association has grown into a strong professional community with 93 members, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and specialized nurses.

Local therapy programmes

DBT in Spain is offered across a variety of settings, from public hospitals to private practices and research institutions. Each programme adapts DBT to meet the needs of different populations:

  • Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona)
    Since 2005, the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Unit at Sant Pau has integrated DBT into its public mental health services. The team provides assessments and treatment for patients from across Catalonia, with a strong focus on DBT Skills Training. Individual therapy is included when trauma or complex needs are identified.
  • Private DBT Programmes
    There are active private DBT programs across many Spanish cities, most of which offer standard DBT in either face-to-face or online formats. To the best of our knowledge, the majority of DBT teams work primarily with adults, although some also provide adaptations of DBT for adolescents.
  • DBT in Universities and Research Centres
    Many of the first DBT therapists in Spain are professors at various universities. As a result, much of the work involving DBT has been carried out within the context of clinical research projects. In these settings, DBT is often offered to specific clinical populations, such as individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), trauma-related conditions, or borderline personality disorder (BPD), and is typically implemented through master’s or doctoral-level programs.

Members

The Spanish DBT Association was built by a group of dedicated clinicians and researchers who share a vision: to bring high-quality Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to Spain and strengthen its presence in clinical, training, and research contexts. Together, they laid the foundation for what is now a growing professional network.

  • Dra. Azucena García Palacios — President

  • Dr. Joaquim Soler Ribaudi — Vice-president

  • Dña. Carla Palafox Freund — Secretary

  • Dra. Mercedes Jorquera Rodero — Tressure

  • Dra. María Vicenta Navarro Haro — Vocal

  • Dra. Matilde Elices — Vocal

  • Dña. Mónica Lavilla Presas — Vocal

  • Dra. Verónica Guillen Botella — Vocal

  • Dr. Daniel Vega — Vocal

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