DBT-C is an adapted version of traditional DBT designed for children (7-12 years old) who experience severe emotional and behavioral dysregulation. This comprehensive treatment actively involves both parents/caregivers and the child.
The treatment begins with a minimum of 12 weeks of parent-only sessions. During this crucial phase, parents enhance their own emotional regulation, learn effective responses to their children’s challenging behaviors, and begin mastering core DBT coping skills. This foundational work is essential for fostering lasting positive changes in the child’s emotional and behavioral regulation.
Parents will learn strategies to address a wide range of their child’s symptoms, including verbal and physical aggression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, stealing, lying, and emotional meltdowns.
Once parents have established a strong foundation, children join the treatment. They will either meet separately with the therapist in one-on-one sessions (complementing the weekly parent sessions) or participate in family sessions alongside their parents. In this phase, all family members learn vital skills in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT-C concludes when parents are consistently responding to their child’s behavior effectively, and the entire family has a solid grasp of foundational DBT skills for coping and communication.