DBT Group: Building Emotional Resilience
Master Your Emotions. Transform Your Life.
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a proven therapeutic approach designed to help people manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and improve relationships. Originally developed for individuals struggling with emotional regulation, DBT has become one of the most effective tools for anyone who wants to build resilience and live more intentionally.
Dialectics means finding balance between two truths: accepting yourself exactly as you are while also working to change harmful patterns. This "both/and" approach — rather than "either/or" — is what makes DBT so powerful and transformative.
Our DBT group provides a supportive, structured environment where you'll learn practical skills you can use immediately in your daily life.
Founding Cohort - Join Us in Launching This Group
We're bringing evidence-based DBT skills training to Douglas County for the first time, and we want you to be part of it from the start.
As a new nonprofit, we're building our inaugural cohort and creating sustainable community programming. When you register, you're not just joining a group — you're helping establish something that will serve our community for years to come.
What you need to know:
- We need 9 committed participants to launch (ensures quality group dynamics and effective skill-building)
- Registration is open now; group starts when cohort fills
- Expected timeline: Launch within 4-8 weeks of reaching minimum enrollment
- You'll be contacted to confirm scheduling before we finalize dates
- Founding members receive priority consideration for future cohorts
Current Status: Building our first cohort now
Skills You Can Use Today
Unlike traditional talk therapy, DBT is skills-based training. You'll learn specific, actionable techniques in four core areas and practice applying them between sessions. This isn't just about understanding your emotions — it's about gaining tools to actually manage them.
Key Features:
- Evidence-based therapeutic approach
- Practical skills taught weekly
- Supportive group environment
- Focus on real-world application
- Tools for immediate use
Building Your Toolkit for Life
Being Present and Aware in the Moment
Learn to live in the present moment and accept what is, rather than getting lost in regret about the past or anxiety about the future. Mindfulness decreases suffering, increases happiness, and helps you gain control over your thoughts and actions.
You'll Learn:
- How to be fully present
- Observing without judgment
- Distinguishing helpful vs. hurtful thoughts
- Meditation and grounding techniques
- Acceptance of reality as it is
Practical Applications:
- Daily mindfulness practices
- Meditation, yoga, walking meditation
- Present-moment awareness exercises
- Non-judgmental observation
Managing Crisis Without Making It Worse
Build resilience and learn to get through difficult moments without resorting to behaviors that create more problems. These skills help you survive crisis situations and cope with pain in healthier ways.
You'll Learn:
- Crisis survival strategies
- How to tolerate distress without making it worse
- Accepting reality when you can't change it
- Building resilience for future challenges
- Creating a life worth living
Key Concepts:
- Radical acceptance
- Self-soothing techniques
- Distraction and grounding skills
- Pros and cons decision-making
Understanding and Managing Your Emotions
Learn to identify, understand, and change unwanted emotional reactions. Understand your "window of tolerance" and develop strategies to reduce emotional vulnerability and increase emotional stability.
You'll Learn:
- Why emotions feel so intense
- What makes regulating emotions difficult
- How to identify and name emotions accurately
- Strategies to reduce emotional vulnerability
- Changing emotional responses that don't serve you
Understanding Emotional Challenges:
- Genetic sensitivity (some people feel more intensely)
- Environmental factors
- Overstimulation responses
- Impulsivity patterns
- How emotions drive behaviors
Navigating Relationships with Confidence
Master the skills to ask for what you want, say no when you need to, handle conflict, maintain self-respect, and build healthy relationships. Learn to be assertive without being aggressive.
You'll Learn:
- How to ask for what you need
- Setting and maintaining boundaries
- Handling conflict effectively
- Keeping relationships that matter
- Ending relationships that harm you
- Making new friends and connections
FAST Skills for Self-Respect:
- Fair: Be fair to yourself and others
- A(No) Apologies: Don't apologize for your needs or feelings
- Stick to Values: Stay grounded in what matters to you
- Truthful: Be honest without excuses
Weekly Sessions (90 minutes)
This Group is For You If:
- You experience intense or overwhelming emotions
- You struggle with impulsive behaviors
- You want to improve your relationships
- You have difficulty managing stress or crisis
- You're tired of mood-dependent behaviors
- You want practical tools, not just insight
- You're ready to practice skills between sessions
- You're committed to change
This group helps with:
- Anxiety and depression
- Relationship conflicts
- Emotional reactivity
- Self-destructive patterns
- Stress management
- Boundary setting
- Communication challenges
Investment
Accessible Mental Health Support
This group is offered on a sliding scale to ensure everyone who needs these skills can access them.
Suggested contribution: $30-$75 per session No one is turned away due to inability to pay.
Included:
- Weekly 90-minute group sessions
- DBT skills worksheets and handouts
- Practice exercises for home use
- Access to additional resources
- Ongoing support from facilitator
Founding Cohort Schedule
01
Currently Enrolling
Program Details:
- Duration: 12 weeks (full skills cycle)
- Session Length: 90 minutes
- Location: [Address]
- Anticipated Start: May 2026
When you register, we'll:
- Confirm your spot in the founding cohort
- Keep you updated as enrollment progresses
- Survey scheduling preferences once cohort is nearly full
- Confirm final dates 2 weeks before start
Frequently Asked Question
We're committed to launching DBT skills training and will actively recruit until we reach our minimum. If enrollment takes longer than expected, we'll keep you informed. You can withdraw your registration at any time before the cohort launches if timing doesn't work for you.
We'll email you regular updates on enrollment progress. Once we're close to our minimum, we'll reach out to confirm scheduling and your continued interest before finalizing dates.
We ask for commitment to help us plan, but we understand circumstances change. You can withdraw before the cohort launches if needed. Once the group starts, consistent attendance and skills practice are important for effectiveness.
DBT group is skills training, not individual therapy. If you're in therapy, DBT skills complement that work beautifully. If you're not, these skills still provide tremendous benefit.
You control what you share. We focus on learning and practicing skills, not deep personal processing. Share what feels comfortable.
Life happens. We'll provide materials from missed sessions. Consistent attendance helps, but we understand flexibility is sometimes needed.
Yes! Practicing skills between sessions is essential. We provide worksheets and encourage daily practice of what you're learning.
A full DBT skills cycle is typically 12 weeks, covering all four skill modules thoroughly.
If you're in active crisis or experiencing suicidal ideation, please contact a crisis hotline or mental health professional immediately. Once stabilized, DBT skills can be incredibly helpful.
No. DBT skills benefit anyone who wants to manage emotions better, improve relationships, or increase resilience.