When your teen is emotional, overwhelmed, or acting out, it can feel like you're walking on eggshells or stuck in the same frustrating conversations over and over again.
You want to help. You want to understand. But what starts as a check-in often turns into a vent session that leaves you both feeling worse.
Focusing on practical skills, rather than just talking through the problem, can help you feel more effective. It creates more connection and less conflict. And it can dramatically improve how you respond to your teen in emotional moments.
In our DBT Parenting Group, we teach five core skill sets that help parents of emotional or high-risk teens feel calmer, more confident, and more connected to their kids. These are not one-time tricks. They are life tools that create lasting change in your family dynamic.
The Five DBT Parenting Skill Sets
1. Mindfulness Skills
Mindfulness helps you slow down and choose how you want to respond. You learn how to stay grounded during emotional storms and respond with intention instead of reactivity.
This also gives you the chance to shift any unhelpful patterns that may have played out in your family for generations. It helps you parent from a place of awareness rather than urgency.
2. Middle Path Skills
This skill set helps you find balance in your parenting approach. Instead of swinging between being too strict or too permissive, you learn how to validate your teen’s feelings while still holding limits.
You can recognize the valid parts of your teen’s experience without agreeing with their choices. You learn how to make room for both acceptance and change. That balance builds trust and lowers conflict.
3. Distress Tolerance Skills
Every parent of an emotionally intense or high-risk teen faces stress. Distress tolerance skills give you tools to manage that stress in the moment.
You learn how to take care of yourself during a crisis. You also learn how to respond to your teen in ways that are supportive without being enabling. This helps you show up when things are hard without making the situation worse.
4. Emotion Regulation Skills
This skill set helps you understand your own emotional responses so you can stay steady in the face of your teen’s big feelings.
You learn how to name what’s coming up for you and respond in a way that keeps things calm. The result is more emotional balance in your home, fewer escalations, and a better ability to support your teen without becoming overwhelmed yourself.
5. Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
These are communication tools that help you speak clearly, set limits that work, and stay focused on the purpose of the conversation.
You learn how to keep your cool, stay on track, and respond in ways that reduce emotional reactivity on both sides. This leads to fewer arguments and more connection. You feel closer to your teen while still holding boundaries.
If you are parenting a teen who struggles with intense emotions or high-risk behaviors, you are not alone.
These five skill sets are the foundation for parenting in a way that feels effective and supportive. They help you shift from reacting to responding and from walking on eggshells to creating real connection.
Want support applying these skills in your own home?
We have a seat for you in our DBT Parenting Skills Group! Reach out today to get started.