---
title: "Pavlov Meets Mindfulness: Integrating Classical Conditioning into DBT Skill Building"
description: Explore how classical conditioning and DBT skills work together to help clients identify trauma triggers and rewire emotional responses. Learn how mindfulness can transform automatic reactions into intentional healing.
---

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# [Pavlov Meets Mindfulness: Integrating Classical Conditioning into DBT Skill Building](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/business-of-practice-blog/pavlov-meets-mindfulness-integrating-classical-conditioning-into-dbt-skill-building)

 Written by [Owen Poindexter](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/business-of-practice-blog/author/owen-poindexter) | Jul 23, 2025 8:05:56 PM

Classical conditioning, made famous by Pavlov’s dogs, provides a basic model for how neutral stimuli, such as the ringing of a bell, can take on specific meanings with an associated physiological response, such as salivating in expectation of food. As a result of trauma, clients often associate neutral or minor stimuli with a traumatic event. This can have a heavy impact on their relationships and wellbeing.  
While [classical conditioning](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/business-of-practice-blog/understanding-behaviorsm) offers a simple path forward – present the neutral stimulus without the associated trauma until the client unlearns the association – this process can be easier said than done. Clients aren’t always aware of their own triggers, and confronting them without preparation can simply reawaken the trauma without doing much to extinguish it.  
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) offers a set of skills and coping mechanisms that can be used in concert with classical conditioning to identify and deal with traumatic responses.

[View full post](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/business-of-practice-blog/pavlov-meets-mindfulness-integrating-classical-conditioning-into-dbt-skill-building)

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