SERVICES
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Do you feel like your child is struggling with big feelings? Our therapists at Bright Star Counselling can help them manage through what's called dialectical behavioural therapy, or DBT.
They will not only learn the skills of being able to manage their emotions, but also learn mindfulness and how to communicate effectively.
What is DBT and What is it Used For?
Dialectical behavioural therapy is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy, specifically adapted to help those who struggle with extremely intense emotions. It’s a structured type of therapy that can help your child or youth if they've been having trouble managing and expressing their strong feelings.
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The word dialectical is derived from “the existence of opposites”. With this in mind, DBT teaches two opposing strategies, acceptance and change, and then it combines two sets of skills, mindfulness (helping to understand and accept big, new feelings) and CBT (teaching how to change unhelpful feelings and behaviour).
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DBT is used to treat many conditions seen in childhood, such as stress, depression, and anxiety.
How does it work?
DBT has four modules:
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Mindfulness: Becoming more aware of self and others, being present in the moment, and understanding triggers of unregulated emotions
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Emotion Regulation Skills: Learn to recognize, label, and adjust emotions and cope with challenging situations by creating pleasant, self-soothing experiences to protect from emotional extremes.
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Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills: Learn how to navigate conflict and interact more successfully with others and be empowered to feel they are supported by others.
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Distress Tolerance Skills: Being able to feel intense emotions, such as anger, without reacting impulsively or using self-injury or substance use to diminish distress.
These modules are customized during your youth's DBT sessions depending on their needs. Our therapists will use techniques such as breathing, centering, and even play to help your youth learn the ways of mindfulness and build upon their abilities to cope with life situations and process their new and big emotions, all the while being supported by you and your family.
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If you feel this form of counselling is the best course of action to help your child or youth, we are happy to provide DBT as part of the treatment plan at Bright Star. We want all children and youth to be as happy and healthy as they can be, and we want you to feel like you've come to the right place for support when you need it.