Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an evidence-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps children, teens, and young adults better understand and manage intense emotions.
Originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to treat borderline personality disorder, DBT has since been adapted for a wide range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, emotion dysregulation, and eating disorders. DBT teaches practical skills in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and healthy relationships, helping young people respond to challenges more effectively while building resilience and confidence.
Building Skills with DBT
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a skills-based treatment that helps children, teens, and young adults manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and respond more effectively to stress. Rather than trying to eliminate difficult emotions, DBT teaches practical skills for accepting emotions while making positive changes. At CYMH, we use a DBT-informed approach tailored to each child’s developmental level and individual needs.
Mindfulness
Learn to slow down, stay present, and observe thoughts and feelings without immediately reacting. Mindfulness helps children and teens become more aware of their emotions, improve focus, and make thoughtful choices instead of acting on impulse.
Emotion Regulation
Develop practical skills to understand emotions, reduce emotional intensity, and respond more effectively to life's challenges. These strategies help young people manage anxiety, sadness, anger, and frustration while building resilience.
Distress Tolerance
Learn healthy ways to cope with overwhelming emotions and stressful situations without making them worse. Distress tolerance skills help youth navigate crises, tolerate discomfort, and reduce self-harm or other impulsive behaviors.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Developing skills for interpersonal effectiveness helps build stronger relationships by learning how to communicate clearly, set healthy boundaries, ask for what you need, and resolve conflicts while maintaining self-respect and respect for others.
Apply for a Teen Skills Group
Please fill out this application if you would like your teen to be considered for the next DBT Skills Group. Each application will be reviewed by our clinical team. You can also email kerri@cymh.org or call our SLO Center at (805) 996-0535 or our Santa Cruz Center at (831) 222-0052.
What Can You Do at Home?
Begin by noticing patterns. Pay attention to situations that increase distress, activities your child has stopped doing, and ways family routines may have changed.
Encourage small, manageable steps instead of expecting immediate change. Recognize effort and courage. For withdrawal, this may mean gradually returning to one meaningful activity. For anxiety, it may mean offering support without automatically helping your child avoid the situation.
Do not pressure a child to discuss traumatic experiences before they are ready. A trained clinician can help determine whether Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Activation, or SPACE Parent Training is the right fit.
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