Ways Teens Benefit from DBT Treatment

Some teenagers struggle with day-to-day. For young people who are somehow not ready, confused, or not feasible, the world can be a scary place. That's where DBT for teens can make all the difference. They can receive support from their peers and solid teen counseling to feel better about themselves and their ability to live well.

Dialectic behavior therapy, or DBT treatment, effectively helps regulate and change challenging, unproductive, or even self-destructive patterns. Emotions and behaviors that can have a negative impact on teens' life as a whole examined, explored and handled in a loving and empowering way.

DBT is a mixture of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness skills. DBT treatment provides young people with concrete, identifiable skills as well as the encouragement that builds confidence and competence. Teens often find that this fosters self-acceptance and proactive, healthy decision-making.

They learn to assess and manage change, stress, and unpredictability as it becomes necessary; an important set of life skills that boost a teen’s mental flexibility and practical ability to cope during difficult times. The latest research on dialectic behavioral therapy shows that adolescents benefit from this type of skill.

Here are four Skills-Related Ways Teens Benefit from DBT Treatment

Mindfulness

Teens learn to be aware and remain in the present moment. They learn to pay attention to what is going on inside and outside of them with less reactivity and more curiosity. Eventually, they come to accept their circumstances and gain more effective control over their thoughts and behavior.

Distress Tolerance

Teens come to understand that distress is not a permanent state. Their work with a therapist helps them gain tools that allow them to tolerate pain. All of this helps them work through life situations without exacerbating their problems or making things worse.

Emotional Regulation

Teens gain the ability to identify and navigate their own emotions more adeptly. They come to see their emotions as purposeful and gain skills needed for regulating the intensity of their feelings. The idea is to feel more in control of balancing their emotions and less inclined to be thrown off by life’s ups and downs.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Teen counseling helps participants learn to develop healthy, growth-oriented, supportive relationships. These are essential. Teens gain the skills to ask for what they want from the key people in their lives. They also learn to get what they need while saying “no” to people who will not help them grow or live life optimally.