DBT-C: Children & Parents
Our DBT-C program is designed for children under the age of 12-years old. It aims to help children and their parents who struggle with intense conflict. It follows the same behavioral principles as other comprehensive DBT treatments but is tailored to the needs of families with younger children. This program includes family DBT skills training, individual treatment for the child as well as separate Behavioral Parent Training for the parents. These sessions can be done together in 60 or 75-minute sessions or broken up as needed. During these sessions, the child and the parents will each learn how to apply a variety of skills they have learned to better manage their own reactions.
Emphasis is on the parents’ skill acquisition and implementation, but common treatment targets are:
- Help parents learn the steps to behavior change and create a change-ready environment
- Introduce parents to behavior modification techniques
- Help parents troubleshoot parenting challenges
- Help parents and children gain awareness of vulnerabilities and triggers to problem behaviors
- Teach parents and children how to problem solve effectively
- Teach parents and children how to identify and change common thinking traps
- Teach parents and children to understand emotions and urges
- Teach parents and children skills to increase tolerance to stressors
- Teach parents and children how to be more mindful throughout the day
- Teach parents and children how to regulate their emotions and effectively communicate to others
