Diving into the Deep: The Impacts of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Teens
Not unbeknownst to all of us, the teenage years can be some of the most difficult and complex years of our lives in many ways. Not only are we dealing with changes in our bodies that make us feel uncomfortable and awkward due to puberty, but we also deal with the difficulties of navigating new social norms and realms, understanding and expressing new, more complicated feelings, and dissecting the growing minds that present us with thoughts and opinions never considered before, all while trying to discover who we are. No wonder it’s so overwhelming!
Luckily, there are various different ways to combat these trying times. One of these ways is through teen mental health therapy, more specifically, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for teens.
I know what you’re thinking… what the heck does that mean? What does dialectical mean?
Well, I’ll tell you!
What the heck is Dialectical?
Dialectical simply means reviewing thoughts and opinions in a logical manner and considering them compared to other logical thoughts and opinions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is closely related to CBT but is kind of like CBT’s nicer, kinder, softer cousin.
It is a modality that therapists use to validate thoughts while simultaneously working to improve these thoughts, emotions, and associated behaviors. DBT is often used to manage strong emotions and to learn coping mechanisms for stressors such as academic pressures and daunting social situations.
Getting into it
Recent studies have shown the effectiveness of DBT in teens!
DBT works by utilizing its four major facets:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Distress Tolerance
Interpersonal Effectiveness
These four facets provide lifelong skills for teens to use in any perplexing situation they may come across.
Mindfulness
Life often times feel as if we don’t even have time to think due to all the obligations, responsibilities, and events that can feel almost consuming at times. Mindfulness for teens is the ability to be present within one’s body and mind to focus on what’s happening inside concerning emotions, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Mindfulness allows us the time to focus on the now in a society where everything is go, go, go and no slowing down.
Mindfulness gives us the opportunity to acknowledge our emotions, name them, and explore their reasonings, thus presenting the chance to appropriately do something about them when necessary!
Emotion Regulation
Our emotions impact our thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs, and at times, emotions can feel as if they are overwhelming every part of our being. Emotional Regulation is about acknowledging, managing and changing our strong emotions to better understand ourselves and provide us with better responses to how we are feeling. Through emotional regulation in teens we can not only change the way we react in times of crisis, but we can also change the way we feel about ourselves, the event, and the reaction to the event.
Distress Tolerance
Unfortunately, life will never be perfect all the time, and there will always be things that are out of our control, but what we can control is our reaction to upsetting, frustrating, or disappointing situations. Distress tolerance skills are the ability to handle these tough emotions and thoughts that derive from these situations or during a crisis or distressing event.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Despite what society portrays in movies, tv shows and on social media, not everyone feels comfortable enough to ask for what they want or to even interact confidently with others, and that's normal! Interpersonal effectiveness is about getting to know your own communication style to then utilize it to be assertive, express yourself freely, and interact with others in a way that makes you feel validated and proud while still fostering your relationship with those around you.
DBT provides the tools to learn how to apply all of these skills to everyday life..
The Effectiveness of a DBT Group for Teens
Research has continuously shown the positive impacts that DBT can have on teens, from increased awareness of emotions to better ability to handle emotions to improved communication skills, the tools learned through the educational base of DBT are lifelong and easily utilized each and every day after learning. The ultimate result of these skills and tools is simply an improved quality of life.
Therapy can seem daunting, and group therapy for teens can seem even scarier. But the reality of this is that it doesn’t have to be! If you’ve never experienced group therapy before, there is something outstanding about the connection and support that is provided not only by the group facilitators and leaders, but also by the group members uplifting each other through building a community within one another that empowers each and every member to grow into a better version of their current selves.
How can I or my child get involved in a DBT Teen Group?
I am so glad you asked!
This Fall, Rylee Powers, LGPC and Mary Cate Stiles, Graduate Student Intern, will be leading a DBT Teen Group at the Space Between Counseling Services Hamilton Location.
Here are some words from Rylee and Mary Cate on the group:
“Through an experiential and educational approach, we aim to improve your teen’s coping strategies, manage stressors, and increase their self esteem. In a safe and supportive environment, participants in our group will learn valuable coping strategies to better handle their everyday challenges of being a teenager.”
Rylee Powers, LGPC
“Being a teenager is hard! There are so many changes affecting every facet of life that can feel challenging and overwhelming. A DBT group can be used to better navigate the complexities of the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. DBT skills can be used not only in the teenage years, but also can be turned into lifelong skills that can be taken into any situation. Rylee and I plan to provide a comfortable and validating space for teens to express themselves freely. As a group, we can explore coping mechanisms to stress such as academic pressures, navigating social lives, dealing with strong emotions as well as many other aspects of teenage life, all while simultaneously providing validation and empowerment to those in the group.”
Mary Cate Stiles, Graduate Student Intern
For more information on the group, please read below:
Monday, September 16th. Monday, September 23rd. Monday, September 30th. Monday, October 7th. Monday, October 14th. Monday, October 21st. Monday, October 28th.
Space Between Counseling Services (Hamilton Location)
16 West Hamilton Street - Mount Vernon
Baltimore, MD 21201
Teens ages 13-17 looking for coping mechanisms and life skills to cope with life stressors
such as intense emotions, navigating social realms, and dealing with academic pressures.
TBD
Email
Support@SpaceBetweenCounselingServices.com
Call
(443)-240-5207
To learn more about Rylee and Mary Cate, please visit spacebetweencounselingservices.com or visit their Instagram pages!
Rylee’s Instagram: @ryleemarietherapy
SBCS Intern Instagram: @sbcs_interns
For more information on DBT, you can visit the Dialectical Behavior Therapy website: https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com
Meet the Author: Mary Cate Stiles
Mary Cate Stiles (she/her) is a counseling intern at Space Between Counseling Services under Diana Harden's supervision, LCPC. Mary Cate treasures the value of the therapeutic process and works to provide a safe space to allow people to freely express themselves without fear of judgment.
Mary Cate remembers what it’s like to be a teen and the struggles that come with everyday life as a teenager. She hopes to help teens today enjoy a smoother teenage experience by helping them learn life skills and coping mechanisms through the therapeutic process. Along with working with teens, Mary Cate also specializes in anxiety, interpersonal problems, women’s issues, LGBTQIA+ affirming, topics of sex and sexuality, post-traumatic growth, and with children.
Mary Cate is accepting new clients.
If you’re interested in working with Mary Cate, please contact Niina Bacha, Client Care Coordinator at (443) 240-5207 or e-mail support@SpaceBetweenCounselingServices.com