Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Teens

• Work together using behavior analysis strategies to identify and better understand the teen’s problem behaviors
• Identify effective coping skills for managing intense emotions and impulsive behaviors
• Problem-solve through challenges or barriers to treatment adherence using new skills
• Provide emotional support

Teens and their caregivers attend a weekly DBT Skills Training class, learning new skills to increase emotional regulation and decrease problem behaviors. DBT Skills Training class covers the following core modules:

• Mindfulness
• Emotion Regulation
• Distress Tolerance
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Walking the Middle Path

Graduation from the Comprehensive DBT Program requires completing two six-month cycles of the five core modules. This provides teens and their caregivers the opportunity to learn and review the skills, supporting skill mastery and application in daily life.

Teens can contact a DBT therapist by phone seven days a week for coaching in skills application. This phone coaching is intended to help generalize skills; it is not intended for crisis intervention.

Individual therapists will work closely with schools, psychiatrists, and other physicians to ensure coordination of services.