Why We Don’t Allow Students to Take Our Course in a Purely Self-Paced Manner

At TheraHive, we offer small group Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) classes designed to provide a supportive and engaging learning environment. Our programs integrate live group sessions, allowing students to benefit from community support and expert supervision. This structure helps ensure that students receive the personalized guidance and support they need to succeed in their DBT journey. Sometimes, students ask us if we offer our courses in a self-paced manner. For now, the answer is no. Here’s why:

Why Not Self-Paced?

There are already many self-paced DBT programs and DBT self-help books on the market. While these resources can be helpful, especially when you’re getting started, a significant problem is their low completion rates. For instance, research from Harvard University and MIT via the edX platform has shown that the vast majority of massive open online courses (MOOC) learners never return after their first year, with low completion rates that have not improved over six years. This trend is not unique to MOOCs; it extends to self-paced DBT programs as well.

Many people are introduced to DBT through these programs, but few are able to truly learn the skills in this way. It's akin to recognizing that few people can consistently work out at home on their own, which is why gyms and classes exist. People want and need a community to help them stay committed and engaged. Learning DBT is no different—it requires more than just reading a book or watching videos.

The Problem of Completion Rates

Completion rates for self-paced programs are alarmingly low. The study on MOOCs highlights several issues:

• Lack of Engagement: Without regular interaction and feedback, students often lose interest and drop out.
• Overwhelm and Discouragement: Self-paced learners may feel overwhelmed by the material and give up when they encounter difficulties.
• Absence of Accountability: With no one to check on progress, it’s easy for learners to procrastinate and eventually abandon the course.

These issues make it clear that self-paced learning often falls short, particularly for complex and emotionally challenging subjects like DBT.

Benefits of Small Groups

In contrast, small group DBT classes offer numerous benefits that address these issues head-on:

• Emotional Support: Supervisors provide crucial emotional support, helping students navigate intense emotions and offering coping strategies to manage distress. This support is invaluable in maintaining emotional stability and continuing progress.
• Personalization: Every student's journey is unique. Supervision allows for the learning process to be tailored to individual needs, circumstances, and learning styles. Supervisors can adjust the pace, focus, and methods to better suit each student's specific challenges and strengths, making the learning experience more effective and meaningful.
• Accountability and Motivation: Without regular check-ins, staying engaged and committed to learning DBT can be challenging. Supervision sessions create a sense of accountability, helping students stay on track. Supervisors assist in setting goals, tracking progress, and maintaining motivation, ensuring that students continue to advance in their practice.
• Safety and Crisis Management: DBT addresses sensitive and potentially triggering content. Supervisors play a crucial role in ensuring a safe learning environment. They can intervene in crises and provide immediate support if a student experiences a significant emotional reaction. This level of oversight is essential for the well-being and safety of the student.

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Other Reasons for Supervised Learning

Humans have evolved to learn in small groups. Supervised DBT programs, such as ours at TheraHive, capitalize on this natural inclination. Small groups foster a sense of community and shared experience, which can be incredibly motivating and reassuring. This communal learning approach helps prevent feelings of overwhelm and discouragement that are common in self-paced programs.

Moreover, if people are exposed to DBT in a self-paced context and feel overwhelmed, they might give up and become turned off to DBT entirely. This is unfortunate because it may lead them to believe that DBT isn't for them, rather than realizing they needed more support to learn the skills effectively.

For these reasons, we currently do not offer a self-paced version of our program. Based on our experience and the current state of technology, integrating live groups into our program will remain a core component of our approach for the foreseeable future. Our small group classes offer the structure, support, and community needed to effectively navigate the complexities of DBT.

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