For many adolescents, social situations can trigger intense anxiety. Some experience racing thoughts, struggle to keep them internal, and begin to verbalize every worry aloud. In some cases, these internal storms become so overwhelming that teens turn to self-harm as a way to release emotional pain. While alarming for caregivers and professionals alike, these behaviors are often signals—clear indicators that the teen’s nervous system is overstimulated and struggling to regulate.
Decode Your Teen’s Emotions: The Proven DBT Model to Help Them Navigate Their Feelings
Ever wonder why your teen’s emotions seem to come out of nowhere? One moment they’re fine, and the next, they’re slamming doors or crying in their room. It’s frustrating, exhausting, and often confusing for parents. The truth is, teens experience emotions intensely because their brains are still developing. But the real challenge? They often don’t understand why they feel the way they do.
How to Help Your Teen Break Free from Emotional Overwhelm with One Simple Skill
Does your teen ever spiral into a meltdown over something that might not even be true? Perhaps they didn’t get a quick reply to a text and immediately assumed their friend is mad at them, or they scored poorly on one quiz and decided they’re failing school. These thought patterns are incredibly common among teens, and they can lead to unnecessary anxiety, conflict, and emotional overwhelm.
Helping Your Teen Tap Into Their Wise Mind
Teens are often caught between two extremes: acting on intense emotions or relying solely on logic. It’s no wonder they feel stuck when trying to make decisions or navigate conflicts. Enter Wise Mind, a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skill that helps them find balance by integrating emotions and reason to make thoughtful, intentional choices.
Helping Your Teen Shift From Willfulness to Willingness
Helping Your Teen Practice Radical Acceptance
As a parent, you’ve probably heard your teen say things like, “This isn’t fair!” or “Why does this always happen to me?” Moments of frustration and resistance are part of life, but when teens focus too much on what they can’t change, it can lead to more pain and hopelessness. That’s where Radical Acceptance comes in—a powerful DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skill that teaches teens to stop fighting reality and focus on what they can control.
Teen DBT Self-Soothe Skills: Tools for Managing Big Emotions
When teens feel overwhelmed or distressed, it’s common for emotions to take over. This can lead to explosive outbursts, self-sabotaging behaviors, or anxiety spirals. But it doesn’t have to be this way. While teens may not control every challenging situation they face, they can learn how to control their responses through DBT self-soothe techniques.