DBT Works is a family program.

Not only do we provide evidence-based services for adolescents and young adults, but we also provide evidence-based and skills-focused support for parents and caregivers. It’s a crucial part of what we do. All of our family services are geared at parents and caregivers.

Why do parents need support?

Simply put, having a child who struggles with emotion dysregulation is a very stressful experience, and we’d like to help make it less stressful.

Family involvement is a key piece of the program. Just as teens and young adults need to learn new skills and ways of managing their emotions, parents need to learn new ways of supporting their teens and young adults. Parents are asked to participate in a variety of supports in order to help them learn and use new skills.

Family Services:

  • At the beginning of the program, parents will have a meeting to discuss family treatment planning, receive orientation to parent/family services, and ask any questions.

  • Parents are encouraged to attend a 4-week introductory parent group, designed to teach foundational DBT parenting skills and to maximize parent involvement in the program. Parents learn emotion management, relationship mindfulness, and validation skills.

  • Parents are encouraged to attend a separate ongoing parent group that focuses on DBT parenting. This group is held weekly on Thursday from 9am-10am. Parents learn emotion management, relationship mindfulness, and validation skills, and also access parent-focused validation and support from the group leader(s) and other members.

  • All families participate in weekly family therapy to address family transactions and improve accurate expression and validation.

  • Parents/caregivers are able to request parent coaching sessions as needed; availability varies. Email the Director of Family Services for more information.

  • Drop by one of our parent coaching drop-in hours for as-needed support. All parents in our programs are invited. We will work on learning and applying new skills. Parent coaching drop-in hours are Tuesdays at 10-11am, and Fridays at 1-2pm.

  • Phone coaching for parents/caregivers: Parents/caregivers are encouraged to call for skills coaching. This is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • Multifamily skills group: Parents of teens in our outpatient adolescent track will learn DBT skills alongside their children in this weekly group. This group will not teach parent-specific skills.

We believe in supporting parents. We don’t judge or blame.

Family Services FAQs

What is DBT parent coaching?

The purpose is to learn new skills and get support. In parent coaching, we will help you apply the DBT parenting skills to your daily life. Parent coaching will help you to improve relationships, understand your highly sensitive child, reduce your own suffering, decrease conflict, and be more in control of your emotions. 

What is DBT family therapy? 

DBT family therapy helps families work on their relationships, understand each other, communicate directly, and collaborate to solve problems. We help families shift away from me vs. you, and toward me and you. 

How does this fit in with my child’s treatment?

By the time families find themselves in a DBT program, they often feel burnt out and helpless. What we do in family programming directly maps onto your child’s treatment. Your child’s primary therapist will ensure that your parent work is integrated with other aspects of your child’s treatment. 

We’ve already done family therapy. How is this different?

DBT family therapy is very different from many other forms of family therapy. We are focused on practicing doing things differently, rather than talking about doing things differently. Of course, we do our fair share of talking, but the primary focus is on practicing new skills. 

Your family therapist will provide proactive and hands-on support during sessions. Your family therapist will help all family members practice new, more effective ways of interacting. They will also help you stop practicing old, ineffective ways of interacting. 

Our child is the one in treatment. What is our role?

Parenting a highly sensitive child is a specialized skill set. Parents are not born with these skills. We will teach you how to avoid making it worse, support your child toward their goals, and improve your own quality of life. DBT Parenting skills can benefit you, your child, and your relationship. 

Will these skills be applicable to my other children?

Yes, and in other relationships in your life too. 

What if i have my own support?

Come learn with us anyway! We’d love to support you in learning new skills for how to parent your teen or young adult.

Are you saying it’s my fault?

Nope, not at all. We assume that everyone is doing the very best they can, and they also need to learn to use new skills. This is where we come in; we’ll help you learn and use new skills, and find joy along the way. We don’t expect that you have these skills already - how could you? We want to help.