Participants learn therapeutic skills not usually taught in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) training and engage in role-play exercises to practice specific techniques for enhancing the therapeutic alliance by increasing validation while delivering DBT to adolescents and their families. The concept of “stinging goals” or the presence of undercurrent wishes to punish or “sting” the person with whom one may be negotiating is introduced. In addition, ways to increase validation when discussing "radical acceptance" and the DBT biosocial theory are presented. Each participant receives a copy of the Goal Parsing homework sheet, which includes spaces for inclusion of “Stinging Goals.”