Debra Bond, PhD - CT Healing Center

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
cthealingcenter@yahoo.com
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?
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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