Why are the Teenage Years so Challenging and How can DBT Help?
Kirsten Smith, LPC
The teenage years are often a time of great highs and lows. These formative years can be both exciting and tumultuous. As adults, it can be difficult to navigate the pressure and stress of the world, however for teenagers it is increasingly more challenging due to many factors such as an underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex and changing hormones, social pressure, academic stress and lack of coping skills.
When we experience heightened levels of stress, our body responds by prompting various thoughts, emotions and behaviors that can quickly escalate without proper intervention. We recognize these responses as normal bodily and brain functions that do serve a purpose - sending information to ourselves to promote action. The key is teaching ourselves how to respond to these signals from our body versus reacting to them. (Linehan, 2015)
"The difference between responding and reacting is a choice. When you react, the other person is in control. When you respond, you are in control" - Henry Cloud
In order to enable teenagers to make this choice, DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) can be helpful in teaching teenagers thought processes and skills to help combat life stressors and increase their overall sense of confidence.
DBT was created by Marsha Linehan in the 1980s for the treatment of chronic self-harm and suicidal behavior primarily for individuals suffering from borderline personality disorder. Today the application of DBT has expanded to treat many different mood disorders and has been beneficial for a variety of mental health struggles, especially for those wanting to improve their quality of life.
DBT is composed of four treatment modules including mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation. DBT can be practiced in a comprehensive format via working with a DBT therapist and attending a skills group, along with coaching calls. However, DBT can also be effective via just skills group training if deemed clinically appropriate.
The goals of skills group training are as follows:
Understanding the purpose of our emotions and how to best navigate them
Developing the ability to tolerate distress and manage crises without exacerbating the situation
Maintaining and improving relationships with others
Fostering greater self-awareness and insight
Increasing confidence in problem-solving skills
Learning the art of validation
(Dialectical behavior therapy: Teens and young adults 2024)
There is a version of DBT that was developed specifically for use with adolescents named DBT-A (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents). DBT-A’s primary goal is to increase an adolescent's capacity for emotion regulation via teaching them how to cope with life’s stressors and adapt healthier responses. Some benefits teenagers can experience through their involvement in DBT-A are learning how to balance change strategies and when to apply acceptance skills, increasing self-awareness, improving communication skills and refining problem-solving abilities (Vallejo, 2024). You can learn more about the benefits of DBT-A here.
Integrate Therapy and Wellness Collective is proud to be offering a basic virtual skills training group for teenagers to learn the core skills of DBT and develop a foundation for further growth. The group will be offered virtually, beginning February 4, 2025. Explore more details about the group!
References
Dialectical behavior therapy: Teens and young adults. Child Mind Institute. (2024, September 6). https://childmind.org/care/areas-of-expertise/mood-disorders-center/dialectical-behavior-therapy-teens-and-young-adults/
Linehan, M. (2015). DBT skills training manual, Second Edition. Guilford Publications.
Vallejo, M., & Name. (2024). DBT for teens: How it works, skills, and FAQs. Mental Health Center Kids. https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/dbt-for-teens
