DBT Skills for Parents Enhance Communication Mindfulness Emotion regulation Distress Tolerance Skills Interpersonal Effectiveness Walking the middle path Family Systems CT HEALING CENTER 830 Sherman Avenue Hamden, CT Mondays at 5:30pm 203 288-HEAL [email protected] Debra Bond, PhD Strategies for building stronger families Building Stronger Families... What is DBT for parents? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed for adults by Dr. Marsha Linehan, psychologist and researcher at the University of Washington. This approach has been found to be an effective treatment for individuals with problems regulating emotions. In DBT there is a simultaneous emphasis on acceptance and change. DBT skills group teaches practical strategies to cope with emotions and can be described as teaching “life skills.” DBT is an effective treatment for people who have difficulty regulating their emotions and behaviors. It addresses the relationship between the individual and his/her environment (family/school/peers). DBT aims to help parents replace problem behaviors with skillful behaviors. It helps people create a life worth living. What are the goals of the DBT Parents” Skills Group? 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Increase mindfulness Improve interpersonal effectiveness Learn Emotion Regulation skills Increase Distress Tolerance abilities Balance coping with emotions and solutions Balance feelings and behaviors Effectively manage adolescent-family dilemmas Participants learn and practice DBT ideas and skills. They learn to be fully in the moment, effectively manage emotions, cope with crises without making them worse, and meet objectives in relationships. Group members explore ways to balance validation (where the focus is on acceptance) with problem-solving (where the focus is on change). In this group environment, members find mutual support and a forum to discuss their experiences with practicing new skills. What is the format of the DBT Parents’ Skills Group? Parents will attend a 1 hour weekly skills group for approximately 20 weeks. The format is designed to teach a new and effective skill set organized into the following five modules: 1) Mindfulness 2) Emotion Regulation 3) Distress Tolerance 4) Interpersonal Effectiveness 5) Walking the Middle Path This group helps parents understand, respond to, and effectively help their child become more skilled in managing day to day emotions and behaviors. The DBT Parents’ Skills Group is generally offered on Mondays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. It is led by Debra Bond, PhD. CT Healing Center, 830 Sherman Avenue, Hamden, CT 06414 (203) 288-HEAL