DBT-Based Parenting Support in West Seattle

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a skills-based program designed to help families navigate emotional storms together to build a life worth living. It is based on the concept of a dialectic, which is the idea that two seemingly opposite things can both be true at once. In this group, we balance the acceptance of doing the best we can right now with the commitment to do better and change. The program uses a two-room structure where teens and parents meet in separate groups to practice skills before bridging them together. By practicing these skills before a crisis occurs, families can find the middle path and strengthen their connections.

• Nature: Some people are born with a "thin emotional skin." They feel things more intensely and for longer than others, which is often described as the "Emotional Burn Victim" metaphor. This emotional vulnerability is a biological trait.
• Nurture: When an intense person is in an environment that doesn't fit or understand them, it creates a clash. This transaction between a sensitive nature and an invalidating environment leads to emotion dysregulation. The result is that both the parent and teen end up feeling invalidated and overwhelmed

As parents, we are constantly balancing between extremes while attempting to manage our own emotions. DBT can teach us to approach dilemmas and problems from a grounded and validating wise-mind approach, recognizing that sometimes the middle ground is the most effective path.

• Stage 1: Behavioral Control and Safety. The foundation of treatment is staying safe and gaining control over behaviors.
• Stage 2: Emotional Stability. Moving from a state of desperation to being able to fully experience emotions.
• Stage 3: Problems in Living. Focusing on achieving personal goals and solving everyday challenges.
• Stage 4: Joy and Fulfillment. The ultimate goal is building a life that feels truly worth living