Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Teens and Families

San Fernando Valley DBT offers therapy, groups as well as a comprehensive DBT program for teens ages 13 and up.

Comprehensive DBT includes weekly individual DBT therapy, group therapy, phone coaching, and family therapy.  Teens who participate in all of these components will meet the criteria for a fully treatment adherent DBT program.

Participating in non-DBT individual therapy and DBT group alone is not considered to be DBT treatment, even though this may be highly effective for many individuals; we do provide this option teens when appropriate.  We may accept teens seeing outside therapists into our teen DBT skills group after consulting with the referring therapist and and completing an intake/assessment.

To participate in our comprehensive DBT teen program:

• Teens must be willing to work hard and participate fully.
• Teens must be participating in weekly DBT Group therapy.  Teen DBT groups
• Teens must attend regular weekly individual therapy, usually 1-2 times per week depending on the needs of the teen.
• Teens must be willing to complete weekly homework assignments.
• Parents must participate in a supportive weekly therapy session.  The therapist will determine if it is appropriate to have the teen present for family sessions.  Parents are usually seen by a different therapist than that of the teen and are introduced to DBT skills, behavioral modification and validation strategies.
• Both teens and parents will sign a treatment contract with their therapist.  This usually happens after about 4 weeks of “pre-treatment” where clients are introduced to the concepts of DBT.  During pre-treatment, the therapist and client will determine which behaviors need to be reduced as well as over all treatment goals and expectations.  An initial DBT treatment contract is usually 6 months long and may be renewed at the end of the contract.
• If the teen or parents miss 4 individual OR 4 group sessions in a row, the DBT contract will be terminated for all involved. Teens and families may not return to therapy until the end of the contract period.  There may be exceptions for summer vacations, etc.
• Comprehensive DBT treatment is not available through insurance.
• Spaces are limited to contact us today for more information and availability.