Settling the Storm: Distress Tolerance Skills for Moments of Emotional Overwhelm in the Classroom

Why can’t we just feel whelmed? Not flooded. Not shut down. Not about to explode. Just… whelmed.

For many young people, even mild discomfort can feel intolerable, pushing them outside their Window of Tolerance and into reactive states like fight, flight, or freeze. In these moments, distress becomes the driver, and behaviour often turns impulsive, disruptive, or withdrawn, affecting both learning and safety.

We’ll explore the distress paradox, how efforts to avoid discomfort can actually amplify it, and how patterns of up- or down-regulating behaviour become strategies to manage an internal world that feels overwhelming.

That’s the function of distress tolerance. It doesn’t fix the feeling, but it gives students something to reach for in the feeling. A way to ground, distract, or steady themselves just enough to choose a better next move.

This webinar equips educators with practical, psychologically informed tools to support students through moments of emotional intensity, responding in ways that reduce impulsive reactions and gently redirect emotional momentum, while preserving a sense of safety and flow in the classroom

Presenter: Dr. Madeline Wishart

The ‘why’ gives us clarity. But it’s the ‘how’ that empowers us to respond effectively, not react.

This 2 hour virtual session delivers immediately usable, psychologically informed strategies to help students move through emotional intensity, right there, in the moment.

You’ll learn practical techniques drawn from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): grounding tools, safe distractions, movement-based resets, thought defusion strategies, and sensory interventions that de-escalate distress without assuming emotional readiness or verbal engagement. Each skill is low-lift, flexible, and built for real classrooms - fast-paced, full, and often emotionally charged.

You’ll also receive the Psych Voice Professional Resources Toolkit - a curated PDF filled with printable worksheets, practical templates, and ready-to-use resources you can implement the very next day.

This is the how. For every educator who’s ever thought: I understand what’s happening… I just need to know what to do.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Form an understanding of the fundamental concepts behind distress tolerance
Explore how personal beliefs about distress shape the way we respond to overwhelming emotions
Understand the distress paradox and why avoidance strategies can amplify emotional sensitivity over time
Learn a range of DBT-informed distress tolerance strategies that can be implemented in real time
Understand how to introduce and scaffold grounding techniques, movement-based resets, safe distractions, thought defusion strategies, and sensory tools
Explore how to support students through emotional intensity without assuming emotional readiness or verbal engagement
Gain confidence in adapting strategies for use across diverse classroom settings and student profiles
Learn how to co-create a Distress Tolerance Action Plan with young people

DR MADELINE WISHART

Dr Madeline Wishart is a Clinical Psychologist with a special interest in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and young people who experience difficulty in regulating their emotions and tolerating distress. She has a PhD, along with a Masters in both Professional and Clinical Psychology. Madeline has a combined history of both research and practical experience across a variety of settings. She has worked in the education, community, private and psychiatric sectors as a youth, school, trauma counsellor, and psychologist. In an academic and research capacity, Madeline has been employed as a sessional lecturer and project officer at Victoria University; and a research officer at Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS) in Melbourne. For the past two decades, Madeline has provided professional training in NSSI and distress tolerance in young people, and she has been invited to present at a number of international mental health conferences. Madeline currently divides her time between her private practice - Wishart Psychology; and Psych Voice, where she delivers professional development, supervision, and evidence-based workshops designed to equip professionals with practical strategies for working with young people.

With an academic background and extensive experience supporting individuals engaging in NSSI, including as a school counsellor and psychologist, Madeline understands the unique challenges of working with young people. Her workshops are comprehensive and highly practical, offering strategies that can be directly and immediately incorporated into your professional practice.

PSYCH VOICE PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES TOOLKIT

Included complimentary with your registration, you'll receive the Distress Tolerance Skills in the Classroom Professional Resources Toolkit (PDF), with practical worksheets, interactive exercises, curated references, and exclusive resources.

This workshop-specific toolkit has been purposefully curated to extend your learning beyond the session. It’s filled with targeted strategies and evidence-based tools you can immediately incorporate into your work with young people navigating distress, impulsivity, and emotional overwhelm.

CPD Hours

Self-Identified CPD: Participants may claim 2 hours of self-identified Continuing Professional Development (CPD) upon completion of this module.

‼️Please note this event is live and will not be recorded

Payment Options

We've got flexible payment options to make things easy. You can choose Google Pay, Credit Card, PayPal, or request an Invoice at checkout.

Humanitix offers credit card payment as a convenient option at the time of registration. This is the only stage where credit card payments can be processed directly through this platform.

Need an Invoice?

We understand that schools and organisations often require an invoice before processing payment, and we’re here to support that.

To secure your place at the workshop, you must complete the full registration form in full and submit it. This step is essential, even if you plan to pay later via invoice.

Once your registration is successfully submitted:

Click the “Request Invoice” button.
A formal invoice will be generated.
This invoice can be downloaded, printed, and shared with your school or organisation for payment.

Please note: Humanitix offers credit card payments only at the time of registration. If you select “Request Invoice,” a separate credit card payment link will not be provided through the platform.

If your organisation needs an invoice but would prefer to pay by credit card, just complete your registration and email info@madelinewishart.com. We’ll send a separate link your finance team can use to pay by credit card.

Your place at the workshop is saved once your registration form is submitted. Your ticket will be confirmed and emailed once payment has been received.

Minimum Numbers & Postponement

This workshop requires a minimum number of registrations to proceed. If minimum numbers have not been reached one week prior to the event date, we reserve the right to postpone the session to a later date. Registered participants will be notified as early as possible of any postponement, and will be offered the choice of transferring their registration to the new date or receiving a full refund.

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Settling the Storm: Distress Tolerance Skills for Moments of Emotional Overwhelm in the Classroom

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