DBT for Teens in Phoenix, Arizona
DBT For Teens
When a parent decides to seek help for their teenager in order to help then improve their mental health, they have choices. However, it can be difficult to know which kind of therapy will provide the best benefits.
Dialectical behavior therapy, also known as DBT, has a proven track record of helping our youth learn to make new connections when it comes to managing their mental health. DBT for teens in Phoenix, Arizona teaches adolescents how to connect their thoughts and actions, allowing them to live in the moment in a way that may have seemed impossible before.
Learning Coping Skills for Anxiety
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
DBT is a type of therapy modified from cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps people learn to live in the moment, rather than being stuck in the past or unnecessarily fearful of the future. Therapists use DBT for teens to help them develop healthy coping skills to replace irrational and unhealthy old ones. Originally conceived to treat people with borderline personality disorder, the use of DBT now applies to a variety of mental illnesses. It also can be used to treat addiction to drugs and alcohol.
DBT proves especially effective for our youth who have trouble regulating their emotions. This is part of what makes it a popular choice for use as part of a therapy program for teenagers, who often lack enough life experience to understand how to regulate their emotions in a healthy manner. As well, teenagers who are impacted by mental health disorders may not be able to properly identify and manage their emotions without therapeutic intervention.
Our Phoenix, Arizona based DBT therapy for teens can also help those who deal with a substance use disorder or other self-destructive behaviors. When young people better understand how to identify and process their emotions, rather than react without thought, they prove less likely to fall into the abuse of drugs or alcohol.
What Does DBT Treat With Teens?
One of the advantages of DBT for teens lies in the fact that it can be used to treat several different mental health disorders and behaviors. Common ones include the following:
- Bipolar disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Panic attacks
- Major depressive disorder
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Self-injury (cutting and related behaviors)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Suicidal thoughts and behavior
- Substance use disorders
- Eating disorders
Our DBT therapy for teens in Phoenix, Arizona can be used to treat adolescents via several options at our treatment center. It can take place individually during one-on-one therapy. It also can be used during group therapy, allowing the teenagers a chance to work together in developing their new skills. Last, some DBT can take place via phone coaching. This usually happens when the person needs support between sessions. Ultimately, regardless of the individual’s diagnosis, the therapist strives to teach each person to apply the skills of DBT to their lives even after treatment ends.
How Does DBT Work for Adolescent Children in Arizona?
DBT therapy is divided into four distinct stages, each one building on the progress made in the previous ones. The stages go as follows:
Stage 1: The therapist and teenager work together to identify self-destructive behaviors. This can include self-injury, suicidal behaviors, and more.
Stage 2: The two then begin to identify issues in the teen’s world that affect their quality of life. This includes their ability to regulate their emotions and how well they tolerate stress.
Stage 3: During this stage, the focus turns to interpersonal relationships and how to improve them. The issue of self-esteem will also be raised.
Stage 4: With the three previous stages and skill sets in place, the focus now turns to helping teenagers find ways to experience more fulfillment and happiness in their lives and enjoy stronger relationships.
Benefits of DBT
DBT for teens provides multiple benefits for each person. Because it can be used to treat several conditions, this makes it helpful for those who deal with more than one mental health disorder. It can also help young people leave the world of drug and alcohol abuse behind them.
A core benefit of DBT involves developing mindfulness skills. This allows a person to live fully in the moment, acknowledging what they feel, think, and sense. From there, they can stay grounded and make healthy choices instead of automatically reaching for negative and detrimental behaviors and thought patterns. This skill can become extremely important during times of crisis or when feeling overwhelmed emotionally.
Another benefit of DBT is that it teaches teens about interpersonal effectiveness. They learn to listen to other people and communicate better with them. They also learn to establish healthy boundaries when needed. This helps them identify and avoid toxic relationships, which can include ones with friends, romantic partners, family, and people who might tempt them back into the world of addiction.
Finally, teenagers learn how to regulate their emotions. Emotion regulation helps teenagers not fear or become overwhelmed by their emotions. They learn to trust that they can identify and handle them, and even change them to something healthier and more beneficial for each event.
Begin DBT Therapy for Teens in Phoenix, Arizona
No parent wants to see their child deal with the challenges of mental illness and not know what to do to help them. Looking into DBT for teens can provide the right answer for your child. This innovative type of therapy helps teenagers assume more power in how they manage their mental health. Zenith Behavioral Health in Phoenix, Arizona, provides DBT therapy for teenagers aged 13 to 17 who need professional help improving mental health disorders. Our residential program gives them a quiet, safe place to focus on self-care and return home with a different state of mind.
Please visit our admissions page now and find out how easy it is to get started. We can answer any questions you have and begin the admissions process.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Teens in Phoenix, Arizona
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Has your child’s life become ruled by addiction or mental health challenges, and are you ready to help them take back the reins? Our adolescent mental health treatment center in Phoenix, AZ, offering DBT, can help you. Call (602) 847-9887 or fill out the confidential callback form below and learn how we can help your child live a life free from addiction and mental health challenges.
