If your teen is attending our DBT Group for Teens, you can join our group for parents that runs concurrently. The aim of this group is to give you the opportunity to learn the same skills as your teen to reinforce their effectiveness. DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is an effective therapy that helps you to accept who you are and the way you think, while also changing the way that you react to your thoughts and feelings. By attending our DBT group for parents, you can both understand the skills that your teen is learning and learn useful skills that you can use yourself.
What Is DBT?
DBT is a type of talk therapy that is based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). However, whereas CBT aims to help you change the way that you think, DBT places more focus on acceptance, learning how to live in the moment, and regulating your reaction to negative thoughts and emotions. Both group therapy and individual therapy are used as part of DBT, with more group work often included compared to CBT. Learning DBT in a group setting provides opportunities to learn better communication, role-play new skills, and share with others.
DBT may involve learning techniques such as:
- Mindfulness - meditation skills to help with living in the present
- Distress tolerance - help with self-acceptance and acceptance of the current situation
- Interpersonal effectiveness - learning to be more assertive and fostering positive relationships
- Emotional regulation - identifying, naming, and changing emotions to manage them more effectively
Why Learn DBT Along with Your Teen?
When your teen is learning important DBT skills, it benefits you to learn along with them. Our DBT group for parents teaches you the same skills that your teen is learning so that they are more effective. You will understand the skills that your teen is employing to improve their mental health and manage their behavior, and you can encourage them to use these skills at appropriate times. You will also know how to use these skills for yourself so that you too can manage your emotions and your mental health, as well as improve your relationship with your teen and others.
About Our DBT Group for Parents
Our DBT group for parents runs alongside the DBT group for teens. This allows you and your teen to learn these new skills at the same time so that you can support them. However, you don't need to have a teen enrolled in the group for adolescents to join the group. If your teen has previously had DBT therapy and you want to understand the skills they have learned, you could join our DBT group for parents at a later date.
Learning DBT as part of a group gives you the opportunity to meet other parents and reinforce the skills that you're learning. It helps you to learn how to communicate effectively, giving you the chance to work with other people who have similar goals to your own.
Book a place with our DBT group for parents to gain some important skills that will help both you and your teen.