Course Outline

The workshop will highlight how mindfulness practice can be integrated into brief contacts, group work, and ongoing support across various frontline settings. This workshop is ideal for, but not limited to those working in mental health, addictions, housing, and community services, and offers both theoretical grounding and hands-on strategies for teaching and modelling mindfulness in everyday interactions.



This interactive workshop introduces participants to the foundational mindfulness skills from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), with a focus on enhancing emotional regulation, improving interpersonal relationships and contributing to an improved overall quality of life for clients. Participants will explore the three states of mind -Wise Mind, Emotion Mind, and Reasonable Mind, and learn how to use DBT’s core “What” and “How” skills to help clients stay grounded, increase awareness, and respond with intention rather than reactivity.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the role of mindfulness in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and how it supports emotional regulation, present-moment awareness, and behavioural flexibility.
• Differentiate between the three states of mind - Wise Mind, Emotion Mind, and Reasonable Mind, and understand their relevance in client decision-making, emotional reactivity, and relationship dynamics.
• Teach and model DBT’s core mindfulness skills - “What” and “How” skills, to help clients build awareness, tolerate distress, and make more skillful choices in the moment.

Trainer Bio

Dhwani Joshi is a Registered Social Worker with extensive expertise in the areas of addictions and trauma-focused care across levels of care including community-based services and hospital systems. She has also gained international experience through a mental health placement at a high school in Beijing, China. Her clinical practice has been deeply rooted in integrating trauma and culturally safe approaches into every aspect of her work, recognizing its’ critical role in understanding and addressing substance use challenges.

Dhwani has played a key role in developing and implementing trauma-informed interventions within hospital-based outpatient settings. At Halton Healthcare, she successfully piloted the Seeking Safety program within the concurrent disorders clinic, and at Trillium Health Partners, she contributed to the creation of a harm-reduction-oriented addictions day treatment program. These initiatives introduced structured, client-centered approaches to addressing trauma and substance use concurrently, resulting in meaningful and lasting outcomes for clients.

Driven by a passion for education and collaborative practice, Dhwani brings deep clinical expertise and a strong commitment to advancing safer, more responsive care for individuals navigating the complexities between trauma and addiction.