What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment that helps individuals live more in the moment, better manage intense emotions, reduce impulsive behavior, and improve their relationships. In this group, we go over coping skills and strategies from the modules of DBT: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and walking the middle path.
Creative techniques are used to explore and reinforce DBT concepts in a way that is accessible and beneficial for adolescents of all artistic skill levels.
Considering this group for your teen?
Read the blog post, “What Is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Is It Good for My Teen?,” written by group leader, Jacqueline Anderson.
Whom does this group support?
Participants are often struggling with some level of anxiety and/or depression. This group is ideal for anyone who has difficulty managing intense or extreme emotions, makes impulsive decisions or reacts impulsively, engages in self-harm or self-destructive behaviors, or struggles with conflict at home or at school.
Registration and Inquiries
To sign up or learn more, contact the group facilitators below.
Group Requirements
Regular counseling with an individual therapist familiar with DBT is a requirement for participating.
It is important to note that anyone struggling with self-harm or suicidal thoughts must be actively committed to safety in order to join this group.
Review the FAQ document for more information.
Choose from three group offerings
ASHBURN
When
9th-12th graders:
Feb 7-May 30
Tuesdays from 4:30-5:45pm
Where
Sunstone’s Ashburn office (map it)
Facilitator
Rachel Coslow
Resident in Counseling
Contact Rachel:
rachelcostlow@sunstonecounselors.com
703-662-3059
ALEXANDRIA
When
9th-12th graders:
Feb 9-Jun 1 (no session Apr 6)
Thursdays from 7:15-8:30pm
Where
Sunstone’s Alexandria office (map it)
Facilitator
Emily Louisos
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Contact Emily:
emilylouisos@sunstonecounselors.com
571-293-1776
RICHMOND
When
9th-12th graders:
Mar 1-Jun 22 (no session on Apr 5)
Wednesdays from 7:15-8:30pm
Where
Sunstone’s Richmond office (map it)
Facilitator
Caroline Crilley
Licensed Professional Counselor
Contact Caroline:
carolinecrilley@sunstonecounselors.com
571-358-9550
What is the purpose of creative arts in this group?
The benefits of the creative arts component to this group are three-fold:
- participants feel more engaged in the group by actively participating;
- the activities directly reinforce the skills being taught and help participants retain the concepts;
- and the process of making art itself is therapeutic, thereby reducing stress and bringing about new personal insights.
No artistic experience is necessary to participate!
What does a typical session look like?
Each session starts with a brief mindfulness exercise. We then go over homework from the previous week, which is to practice the skill that we learned. Next, we cover the new DBT skill and move into a creative arts activity connected to the skill. The session wraps up with a time of sharing art and discussing homework for the upcoming week.
What Is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Is It Good for My Teen?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is broken up into four modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills. Individuals who benefit from DBT often have difficulty controlling their emotions, want to improve their impulse control, may find themselves stuck in a pattern of rocky relationships, and/or want to be more grounded in the present.
