What is DBT?
And What Are Dialectical Behavior Therapy Groups?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a treatment that incorporates components of individual therapy and skills training. Incorporating techniques such as mindfulness, acknowledgement, and acceptance, over time DBT has been proven helpful for individuals with depression, anxiety, PTSD, chaotic relationships, impulsive behaviors, purging, self-injury, substance abuse, truancy, and more. The goal of DBT is to teach participants how to regulate emotions during high periods of stress, engage in healthy relationships, handle conflicts appropriately, utilize adaptive coping behaviors, and ultimately live more balanced lives. Because Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a multi-method approach, both individual therapy and group therapy are recommended for treatment. And it's the DBT Group Therapy piece that provides a safe and social environment where adolescents, teenagers, and young adults can learn and practice emotional and behavioral regulation skills.
Skills Covered in DBT Groups
DBT Group services often cover skills from four key categories:
- Mindfulness: How to stay present in the moment and adopt a non-judgemental stance of yourself, others, or situation.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: How to navigate relationships more effectively by learning how to make requests, balance priorities and demands, say “No” and stick to it, build a sense of self-respect, and maintain healthy, positive relationships.
- Distress Tolerance: How to manage periods of high emotional intensity (distress) in a healthier and more effective way.
- Emotional Regulation: How to more effectively manage your emotions by decreasing unpleasant emotions and increasing positive experiences. Also how to identify and understand your emotions; reduce emotional vulnerability and decrease emotional suffering.
How Our DBT Groups Can Help
Wynns Family Psychology offers DBT groups for tweens, teens, and young adults throughout the year. (Please note individual therapy sessions are also recommended for more personal work.) Check out our list of age-based DBT Groups below.
List of DBT Groups:
Grades 9-12; Ongoing 2024
Is your teen struggling with managing his emotions? Is she often overwhelmed or easily upset? Has your teen expressed a sense of emptiness or confusion? Is there frequent family conflict? Is she struggling in her peer relationships? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based approach that helps teens learn how to cope with emotions in a healthy and productive manner. DBT is especially helpful for teens diagnosed with anxiety or depression, or for kids struggling with self-harming behaviors such as cutting. Our ongoing Teen DBT group is comprised of four different modules—Mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
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Grades 6-8; Ongoing 2024
Is your tween struggling with managing her emotions? Is he often overwhelmed or easily upset? Has your tween expressed a sense of emptiness or confusion? Is there frequent family conflict? Is he struggling in his peer relationships? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based approach that helps tweens learn how to cope with emotions in a healthy and productive manner. DBT is especially helpful for tweens diagnosed with anxiety or depression, or for kids struggling with self-harming behaviors such as cutting. Our ongoing DBT Tween group is comprised of four different modules—Mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
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Ages 18-26; Next Group TBA
Based on Demand, Please Call to Inquire
Are you a young adult struggling with managing your emotions? Are you often overwhelmed or easily upset? Have you expressed a sense of emptiness or confusion? Is there frequent family conflict? Are you struggling to maintain meaningful peer relationships? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based approach that helps young adults learn how to cope with emotions in a healthy and productive manner. DBT is especially helpful for young adults diagnosed with anxiety or depression, or for those struggling with self-harming behaviors such as cutting. Our ongoing DBT Young Adult Group is comprised of four different modules—Mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Learn More >>