OUR SERVICES
Comprehensive DBT for Adolescents & Families
Comprehensive DBT for Adolescents & Families
Our adolescent DBT program helps teens manage strong emotions, navigate tough situations, and build healthier relationships—with support from their families. Teens learn practical skills for coping and communication, while parents and caregivers are included as partners, learning ways to support growth at home without judgment or blame. Together, the program helps the whole family feel more connected, understood, and confident in handling life’s challenges.
“I’m worried about my child…and I don’t know what to do next.”
Your child’s behaviors feel out of control and you don’t know if they are safely managing emotional storms when they arise. You worry about your teen, feeling a mix of fear, exhaustion, and confusion. You wonder if they’re okay, if you’re saying or doing the right thing, or how to help when nothing seems to work. At the same time, your love for them runs deep—you just want them to feel safe, understood, and supported. Even in the hardest moments, your care and concern show how much you want the best for them.
You might be noticing…
Intense emotions that feel hard to manage
Arguments or conflicts at home that escalate quickly
Sudden shutdowns, outbursts, or withdrawal
Your teen feeling misunderstood or overwhelmed
Feeling unsure how to respond or help
Struggling to stay connected when emotions run high
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
If your teen’s emotions feel overwhelming or out of control, reaching out is the first step toward support and change. Our DBT program helps teens build skills to manage intense feelings while guiding parents on how to respond with understanding and confidence.
Contact us today to learn more and start the conversation.
The Benefits of a Family-Involved DBT Approach
Family involvement focuses on connection and support, never blame or fault. Teens learn skills, parents learn how to support those skills and the family connection grows.
What to Expect with Our Proven Approach
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Teens learn practical skills to manage intense emotions and approach challenging situations.
Teens gain tools to improve relationships with friends, family, and others.
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Parents learn how to support their teen effectively without making conflicts worse.
Parents are part of the solution, actively learning ways to foster positive change.
for ADolescents & Families
comprehensive dbt
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Comprehensive DBT is a coordinated treatment that includes multiple layers of support, guided by your therapist and care team.
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In individual DBT therapy, teens work one-on-one with their therapist to understand what leads them to self destructive behaviors and learn skills to navigate emotions, behaviors, and relationships more effectively.
Together, they’ll identify patterns that no longer serve them and practice skills that help move them toward their goals. Depending on your teen’s needs, sessions may include gradually facing fears, increasing positive and fulfilling activities, shifting unhelpful thought patterns, and involving you as a parent to provide support at home and strengthen progress.
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Phone coaching is available between sessions to help your teen use DBT skills in real-life moments, not just in the therapy room. When a situation feels emotionally intense or overwhelming, they can reach out to their individual therapist for brief, focused support on which skills to use and how to apply them. The goal is to help your teen navigate challenges as they’re happening, so they feel more confident handling difficult situations on their own over time.
Parents who participate in our skills training group also receive phone coaching from their skills trainer to assist them in using tools they’re learning in the home.
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Multi-family DBT skills groups meet weekly and focus on learning and practicing practical tools to use in everyday life. In a supportive, structured setting, you and your teen build skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, conflict resolution and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills are taught step by step over a six-month cycle, giving your teen and you time to practice, grow, and gain confidence using them outside of the group.
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A key part of comprehensive DBT happens behind the scenes. Our therapists meet weekly as a consultation team to support one another and stay grounded in the principles of DBT. This collaboration helps therapists stay thoughtful, consistent, and compassionate in their work, so every client receives care that is supportive, skillful, and aligned with the values of DBT.
TRAUMA-informed care
When Trauma is Part of Your Child’s Experience
Our DBT program is designed to support teens who have experienced difficult or traumatic events, recognizing how these experiences can make emotions feel intense or hard to manage. When appropriate, trauma-focused work can be thoughtfully integrated into therapy, always guided safely and intentionally by your teen’s therapist. The focus is on helping your teen build skills, feel understood, and navigate emotions in a way that supports healing and growth—at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Our DBT therapy team is made up of caring, experienced professionals who work together to support both your teen and your family. We partner with you and your teen to understand challenges, teach practical skills, and offer guidance in real-life situations. You’ll have a consistent, compassionate team rooting for your teen’s growth and helping your family feel supported, understood, and connected every step of the way.
Support for your child and for you
Frequently Asked Questions
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Parents are routinely included in mutli-family skills training. Parent involvement in an adolescent’s individual therapy is typically once every six weeks, although may be more frequent based upon your adolescent’s needs.
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As your teen progresses in their individual sessions, your child’s therapist may recommend more frequent family therapy with another one of our DBT clinicians.
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There are three main differences between adult skills group and multi-family groups.
Multi-family groups include up to 2 caregivers for each teen and parents are involved in each group.
Skills modules are 6 weeks each and four modules are covered: Middle Path, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance and Emotion Regulation.
Skills materials are derived from the Adolescent DBT skills manual by Rathus and Miller and supplemented by materials from Marsha Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Manual.
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Middle Path skills include strategies that help parents and teens improve their relationship and cope with conflicts between one another.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Support for your teen starts here. Connect with us to explore how DBT can help your teen manage intense emotions and help your family feel more connected and confident. You can schedule an initial, free and confidential telephone consultation with our intake coordinator via the link below.