DBT for Adolescents

Our comprehensive DBT program includes:

-Individual therapy (typically on a weekly basis) that targets multiple problems with effective treatments within the DBT structure
-Skills training class with the teen and at least one adult (up to two) from the adolescent’s home/living environment (typically on a weekly basis)
-Between-session consultation with your therapist
-Therapist consultation team
-Behavioral parent training
-Family meetings as needed
-Psychiatric services are also available

Your therapist will carefully tailor your treatment plan to you.

What is Skills Training?

Skills training is one component of comprehensive DBT.

In weekly skills training, which is typically conducted in a group setting, we teach the following skills:

Mindfulness

Learning how to increase awareness, see yourself and situations more clearly, and slow down impulsive reactions

Interpersonal effectiveness

Getting what you want while maintaining good relationships with others, as well as maintaining your own self-respect

Emotion regulation

Learning how to skillfully experience and regulate emotions, and how to let emotions work for you instead of against you

Distress tolerance

Learning ways to survive a crisis without making it worse, and learning how to accept a distressing situation such that change can be made possible

What Does DBT Look Like?

When you enroll in outpatient DBT, you will go through the following steps:

When you first call our Center, you will be asked a series of screening questions. These questions help us know if a program other than DBT might be a better fit for you.

You may ask for an optional consultation by phone or in person – this is a time to ask questions and speak to an expert in DBT before you start treatment.

If you are interested in DBT and we agree it’s likely going to be a good fit, you will be assigned an individual therapist. You will attend an intake appointment with this therapist, who will do a full assessment with you.

This intake appointment is part of pretreatment, a set of 1-4 appointments where your therapist orients you and together you figure out treatment goals and a plan.

At that point, your individual therapist will most likely assign you to a skills group.

You will attend individual therapy and skills group weekly for six months to a year.

You might graduate early if you are ready, or you might wish to stay longer, if you have additional treatment goals. You and your therapist will discuss when treatment will end.

If you attend our Intensive Outpatient Program, the sessions are consolidated but the elements of treatment are the same. Please see our IOP page for more information (insert link here).