Helping Teens Thrive: The Benefits of DBT for Teenagers
Being a teenager is hard. From learning trigonometry to navigating peer pressure to dating, there is a lot to keep up with as an adolescent. It can be challenging to cope with stress, deal with parents, and plan for your future. What if there was a way for teens to learn how to stay grounded in the present moment, regulate their emotions, improve relationships, and make better decisions? Well, there is! It’s called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). As a mental health therapist, I believe that DBT should be taught in all schools. In this third edition of the DBT blog series, we will discuss the benefits of DBT for teenagers and adolescents.
What is DBT for Teenagers?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT for short, is a kind of therapy that helps teens and adolescents learn how to handle their emotions and problems better. It's like a toolbox filled with skills to deal with tough situations and strong feelings.
Imagine you have a backpack and inside it, you have different tools. These tools might be how to talk to someone you trust, take deep breaths, or do something fun to feel better when you're upset. DBT teaches you these tools and helps you decide which one to use when you need it.
It's okay to have strong emotions. DBT helps you be okay with your emotions and also find ways to manage them without hurting yourself or others. It's like learning to ride a bike; at first, it might be hard, but with practice, it gets easier.
DBT is organized into four groups- emotion regulation, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. For teens, it is important that there is parent involvement in DBT. Research has found that the more parents are involved in their child’s mental health treatment, the more effective it will be.
Mindfulness for Teens
Applying DBT mindfulness skills to teenagers can be helpful for emotional well-being and overall development. Teens can learn how to become more self-aware and cope more effectively with life during their formative years.
Examples of DBT Mindfulness in Teens and Adolescents:
One-Mindfully: In DBT, teens are taught the importance of concentrating on doing one thing to task at a time. Yes! It is better to only do one thing at a time. They will learn how to stop multitasking, whether it's studying, playing sports, or spending time with friends, which leads to stress and lack of focus.
Mindful Breathing: Breathing exercises are taught as a way to manage stress and anxiety. For example, adolescents will practice taking slow, deep breaths to calm their nerves system when feeling overwhelmed.
Grounding Techniques: Teens will learn grounding techniques that help them stay connected to the present moment, especially during stressful situations.
Techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise (naming five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste) can be helpful.
Emotion Regulation for Teens
Growing up can be a challenging time filled with intense emotions and stress. DBT Emotion regulation skills for teens can help them cope with their changing emotions. By learning and applying these DBT skills, teens can cope with life's challenges and build healthier relationships. Parents need to create a supportive and non-judgmental environment. This way teenagers feel safe to express their emotions while learning these skills.
Examples of DBT Emotion Regulation Skills in Adolescents:
Increasing Positive Emotions: Teens are motivated to engage in activities they enjoy. They might focus on social interactions that create good emotions, such as spending time with friends or pursuing hobbies like watching the Detroit Tigers!
Problem-Solving: Teens will learn problem-solving skills to address the sources of emotional distress. They will know how to break down problems into steps and consider potential solutions. Teens will also start to seek guidance from trusted adults when needed.
Creating Emotional Boundaries: DBT helps teens recognize the importance of setting boundaries. They learn how to balance their needs with the needs of others.
Interpersonal Effectiveness for Adolescents
Applying Interpersonal Effectiveness skills from DBT to teens can help them improve their relationships and have healthy boundaries. Adolescence is a great time to develop skills to learn how to speak with others. It can empower them to feel more confident and less anxious in their social interactions.
Examples of DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness in Teens:
GIVE: This acronym helps teens maintain healthy relationships by effectively communicating.. It emphasizes approaching relationships with empathy and understanding.
(be) Gentle- Be nice and respectful. Avoid attacks (verbal or physical), threats, and manipulation.
(act) Interested- Listen to someone without interrupting. It can help to make eye contact, and physically lean towards them to show you are interested.
Validate- Do your best to show the other person you understand their feelings and perspective about the situation. Try to see the world from their point of view, and then say what you see. We can validate someone without agreeing with them.
For example: “It sounds like you are overwhelmed” or “I can tell you are trying very hard”
(use an) Easy Manner - Approach the conversation from a laid-back, open, and curious perspective. This will create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It can be helpful to use a little humor, smile, and be light-hearted.
Distress Tolerance Skills for Teens
The goal of distress tolerance skills is not to get rid of stress completely. The goal is to help adolescents tolerate stress and make better choices when they are faced with hard situations. It’s important to learn distress tolerance skills because we cannot always get rid of unpleasant emotions. These techniques can help teens be less impulsive and cope better with their emotions.
Examples of DBT Emotion Regulation Skills in Adolescents:
TIPP Skills: This DBT acronym is great to use when teens want to reduce extreme emotions quickly!
Temperature- The focus here is to change your temperature! You can try putting your face in cold water (or warm water), holding an ice cube, or taking in a cold shower. You only have to do this for a few seconds for your mood to change.
Intense Exercise- To calm your body down when you are feeling overwhelmed, you can engage in intense exercise. Intense looks different to everyone! It could be running, walking fast, jumping in place, playing a sport, lifting weights, etc. You only need to do this for a short amount of time to feel better.
Paced Breathing - There is no right or wrong way to do paced breathing. The focus is to notice your breath. One technique is to breathe into your belly and then slow your pace of inhaling and exhaling down. You can start to breathe out more slowly than you breathe in (for example, 3 seconds in and 5 seconds out).
Progressive Muscle Relaxation- There are a few different ways to engage in progressive muscle relaxation. The goal is to relax muscles, reduce tension, and increase mindfulness.
Develop a “Pros and Cons” List: Adolescents will learn how to develop a pros and cons list of their impulsive or harmful behaviors. They will start to consider the long-term consequences of their actions. It is helpful for teens to create a list of alternative coping strategies that can be more effective that they can do immediately. - Teach teenagers TIP skills when they need to quickly change their emotional state. For example, they can try splashing their face with cold water or engaging in intense physical exercise.
Begin DBT for Teenagers in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and throughout Michigan
If you are a parent or a teenager facing the complex challenges of adolescence, maybe it is time to consider DBT for Teenagers in Detroit, MI. Our qualified DBT therapists in Michigan can help teenagers thrive emotionally and socially. Follow the steps below to begin with Embodied Wellness, PLLC:
Contact us to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Speak with an experienced DBT therapist.
Take a step towards a more fulfilled life!
Other Therapy Services Offered at Embodied Wellness in Michigan
Our understanding and trained DBT therapists offer various services and specialties outside of DBT for teenagers. This includes depression treatment, Trauma therapy and PTSD treatment, Somatic therapy, and Empath therapy. We also offer EMDR therapy and Internal Family Systems. All these online therapy services are available for both teenagers and adults. Nosotros tambien ofrecemos terapia en español en Detroit y otras partes de Michigan. Start your journey to a better life and visit our Detroit-based practice today!
About the Author:
Sarah Rollins, LMSW, SEP is the founder of Embodied Wellness, PLLC, a group therapy practice providing online therapy in Michigan. She is passionate about expanding awareness of somatic therapy as way to treat and heal trauma. She incorporates other holistic treatments into her practice including EMDR and IFS.