Deepening Your Skills in Emotional Regulation

"Beyond the Basics: Intermediate DBT Skills Group" is a supportive space for individuals who have foundational knowledge of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and are ready to deepen their skills. This group focuses on strengthening emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness techniques. Through guided discussions, practical exercises, and peer support, members will build confidence in applying DBT skills to real-life challenges. If you’re looking to enhance your emotional resilience and create lasting change, this group is for you!

We will explore how emotions function, identify personal triggers, and practice strategies to regulate emotions before they become overwhelming. You will build on core DBT concepts like checking the facts, opposite action, and problem-solving while also developing a more intuitive sense of emotional balance. The goal is to move from simply managing emotions to feeling a greater sense of control and confidence in your ability to navigate life’s challenges with stability and clarity.

Strengthening Distress Tolerance and Mindful Action

Handling distress effectively requires both acceptance and action. Many distress tolerance skills focus on short-term strategies for managing crises, but in this group, we will take a more comprehensive approach. You will refine your ability to tolerate distress without making impulsive choices that may create long-term consequences. We will explore advanced techniques for radical acceptance, urge surfing, and self-soothing to help you stay grounded in high-intensity moments. Additionally, we will focus on shifting from reactive coping to proactive coping by identifying potential triggers and developing individualized crisis prevention plans. Mindfulness will also play a key role in this process, helping you cultivate a greater awareness of your emotions, sensations, and thoughts so that you can respond with intention rather than react out of habit. The ultimate goal is to build resilience—not just in moments of crisis, but in everyday life—so you can handle stressors with a greater sense of stability and inner strength.

Beyond the Basics: 8-Week DBT Skills Group Curriculum

Week 1: Advanced Mindfulness & Wise Mind in Action

  • Review of core mindfulness concepts (observe, describe, participate)

  • Strengthening Wise Mind for Decision-Making

  • Practical exercise: Mindfulness in daily life

Week 2: Managing Emotional Vulnerability & Building Resilience

  • Understanding emotional sensitivity & increasing emotional strength

  • Practicing opposite action for difficult emotions

  • Group discussion: Strategies for emotional resilience

Week 3: Distress Tolerance – Radical Acceptance & Letting Go

  • Deep dive into radical acceptance & willingness vs. willfulness

  • Practicing reality acceptance in challenging situations

  • Group activity: Creating a "Letting Go" ritual

Week 4: Advanced Emotion Regulation – Shifting Intense Emotions

  • Recognizing emotion myths & changing unhelpful thought patterns

  • Applying the PLEASE skill for long-term emotional stability

  • Group practice: Identifying & challenging emotion-driven thoughts

Week 5: Interpersonal Effectiveness – Navigating Difficult Conversations

  • Strengthening DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST skills

  • Practicing assertiveness & boundary setting in real-life situations

  • Role-playing challenging interpersonal scenarios

Week 6: Balancing Priorities & Building a Life Worth Living

  • Identifying values & aligning daily actions with long-term goals

  • Addressing self-sabotage & building motivation

  • Group exercise: Creating a “Life Worth Living” vision board

Week 7: Problem-Solving & Coping Ahead for Triggers

  • Applying DBT problem-solving steps to real-life challenges

  • Developing a "Coping Ahead" plan for high-stress situations

  • Group discussion: Identifying personal growth areas

Week 8: Integration & Moving Forward

  • Reviewing key takeaways from the program

  • Creating individualized DBT maintenance plans

  • Group reflection: Sharing insights & setting personal growth goals

The rate for this group is $80 per 60-minute group session. The group meets every Tuesday 6:00 pm – 6:50 pmIf you’d like to use insurance for this group, please send your insurance information.

Feel free to reach out for a 20-minute phone consultation.

Email: veronicalpcc@gmail.com

Phone #: (657) 505-5982