The Adolescent DBT and Family Resiliency Program exists to provide standard Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to teens and their families in the St. Louis Region. Some common struggles of teens who typically benefit from DBT may include experiencing life-interfering symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress. Our teens may be struggling with relationships, thoughts and behaviors related to self-harm, and other unhealthy behaviors they may wish to change but feel are out of their control.
Our program aims to teach teens and their families the skills and tools to reduce crisis behaviors, decrease hospital visits, and empower healthy relationships that lead to a Life Worth Living.
ADBT integrates the expertise of medical doctors, social workers, therapists, case management and student learners to provide a full spectrum of high-quality care unparalleled in our region.
What is DBT?
DBT involves four separate components that work together to form the therapy. To be receiving comprehensive treatment (Standard DBT), there must be 4 components of the therapy:
1. Individual DBT: In weekly individual therapy sessions, teens will work with their therapists on applying the skills learned in group in order to incorporate them into daily life. The primary focus is on individualizing the skills for each teen’s unique challenges.
2. Multifamily skills groups: These are group classes that are held once a week and where a group of teens and caregivers will join together to be taught elements of DBT: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Walking the Middle Path. DBT groups are run much like a class and teens and their caregivers are asked to listen, take notes, and participate in exercises and discussions. The atmosphere of a multi-family skills group is one of positive problem-solving and focusing on how to manage challenging situations effectively.
3. Phone coaching: This is typically provided by our teens’ individual therapist and is a unique and powerful way to further generalize and reinforce the skills taught in the DBT group. During a coaching call, the goal of our therapists and group leaders is to help teens and caregivers take the skills you are learning in group and successfully apply them to your regular environment.
4. Consultation team: Our entire DBT care team meets in order to obtain consultation, training, and help to be as effective as possible with their work with our clients. In this meeting, each clinician is employing and exercising the same skills that our teens and their families learn in group with each other. The purpose of this meeting is to help increase success, increase motivation, decrease burnout and for therapists to get the help and support they need to best help you.
Program Length
Standard DBT Treatment evolves over a 12-month period to help teens and families learn the skills and tools needed to develop a Life Worth Living. We tend to re-evaluate teen’s growth and progress with families at the 6-month mark to make recommendations for continued DBT treatment or perhaps recommend a different type of treatment out in the community.
Additional Services Offered
Because we know families have varied needs, we offer several complimentary services, including, but not limited to: Family Therapy, Caregiver Coaching and Emotional Support, Caregiver Support and Education Groups, and referrals to both internal resources like nutrition and occupational therapy as well as case management to connect you with the community resources you may benefit from.
Referral and Contact Information
If you are a provider within the WashU / BJC / SLCH system, referrals can be placed through an ambulatory referral to Pediatric Psychiatry, selecting DBT as the desired program.
Information about the ADBT program can be obtained by calling 314-747-6702 or emailing PsychADBTprogram@email.wustl.edu