DBT for Adolescents Group at Dragonfly

We are very pleased to offer Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) groups for teens and their parents here at Dragonfly. We are offering a specific type of DBT which is designed just for adolescents (called DBT-A). The first group starts this November – see all the details here.

What is DBT?

DBT is a great option for teens who experience really big emotional reactions and frequently act on those emotions in risky ways. Many of these teens also struggle with relationships and this can cause them distress.

DBT helps to teach teens new skillful behaviours that can replace their problematic behaviours. It also helps teens to experience their emotions without acting on them in risky or harmful ways.

What makes DBT-A (adolescent version) different from regular DBT?

There are many commonalities between the adolescent and the adult versions of DBT, however the adolescent version has an extra module called “Walking the Middle Path”which focuses specifically on parent-teen relationships. Throughout all the modules, the language and handouts in the adolescent group are meant to be more engaging and friendly to teens.

Does it work?

There is strong evidence for the effectiveness of DBT-A particularly when it is implemented in its full format which means attending a skill building group once a week along with individual or family sessions once a week.

“Focusing specifically on children and adolescents, our results reveal promising effects of DBT-A for both self-harm and suicidal ideation”  Source Kothgassner, O., Goreis, A., Robinson, K., Huscsava, M., Schmahl, C., & Plener, P. (2021). Efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(7), 1057-1067. doi:10.1017/S0033291721001355

DBT at Dragonfly

We are very pleased to be running the full DBT group which consists of 5 modules that run for 6 weeks each. Teens and their family can enter the group at any time; they do not need to take the modules in any particular order. Families and teens will leave the group with a set of skills that allow them to live in the moment, experience improved relationships, have improved emotion regulation, and have less risky behaviours. If you have any questions about our DBT-A group please feel free to contact us!