Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Group Therapy

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is focused on achieving effective skills that can be used in everyday life, and in the face of life’s major stressors. It is designed for individuals suffering with a range of mental health concerns, with a focus on both accepting and changing negative or unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.

The goals of the class include learning about:

  • Mindfulness: practicing and understanding the effectiveness of “being in the moment”, with a focus on bringing awareness to emotions, behaviours, and thoughts as they are occurring. 
  • Distress tolerance: focusing on accepting a situation, rather than how it should be and learning skills to cope in the face of a crisis, especially when changing it is not an option. 
  • Interpersonal effectiveness: learning how to exist within relationships by setting boundaries, and establishing and maintaining self-respect. 
  • Emotion Regulation: understanding how to manage emotions in an effort to influence behaviours and thoughts. 

The logistics are as follows:

  • Classes are 2 hours each, and occur over 24 weeks. 
    –  Each module is 6 weeks long, allowing for new registration every 6 weeks
  • They will be offered Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • Sessions will begin Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 

Eligible participants for this group include:

  • 1 teen (13 to 19 years old) and at least 1 accompanying parent or caregiver
  • Typically, DBT has been known to support people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, eating disorders, among many other diagnoses. 
  • It can also support people struggling with concerns related to impulsiveness, high-risk behaviours, mood swings, relationship and intimacy issues, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, identity confusion, as well as thoughts, behaviours and emotions causing distress and despair. 

Source for information on DBT, and to learn more: 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). (2021). Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/dialectical-behaviour-therapy 

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