The Child DBT Blog
Currently I have two books in preparation, namely, DBT-C treatment manual and DBT-C treatment handouts and worksheets. These materials are not yet available for distribution to general public. However, there are several ways to obtain training and ma…
Don’t be afraid of temper tantrums during a session. They are going to happen anyway, and they can be quite informative and target-relevant. They allow a therapist to: 1) observe parent-child interactions; 2) model to parents how to respond to proble…
I have recently completed two randomized clinical trials on DBT-C (7-12 years of age). The outpatient setting trial targeted children with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. Results of this trial indicated that DBT-C was acceptable to children a…
DBT-C targets 1) our relationship with an environment or factors that elicit and reinforce responses, as well as 2) our relationship with self or vulnerabilities in three core senses: self-love, safety and belonging. Most children (and frequently the…
Children do not come with instructions. Yet, many parents can provide good-enough parenting and raise adjusted and happy kids, able to withstand stress and learn from facing challenges. However, children are not created equal and good-enough parentin…
Invalidation is not something intrinsically bad. It just means that something does not make sense. Validation, on the other hand, means that something does make sense. Every time we teach a skill or provide cognitive restructuring, we are invalidatin…
Supersensers experience emotions on a different level, and much stronger than children who are less emotionally sensitive. Little things irritate them, and emotions may be so overwhelming that verbal or physical aggression occurs. Indeed, parents fre…
We communicate on two main levels: 1) with words and 2) with the emotional underpinning of what is being said (e.g., tone of voice, facial expression, body posture, etc.). Supersensers are sensitive to their own emotions, we well as emotions of other…
Function! Function! Function!
Imagine a continuum, where one end represents emotional sensitivity, and the other end is callous unemotional. Supersensers are closer to the emotional sensitivity side, while conduct disorder children are closer to t…
Many supersensers are well adjusted and enjoy the benefits of their emotional sensitivity, while dealing effectively with challenges. Clinical interventions are only needed for children who develop emotional dysregulation and corresponding behavioral…