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Therapy Types

DBT-Informed Skills

A skills-based approach that helps children and teens manage intense emotions, tolerate distress, and build healthier relationships.

Skills for Managing What Feels Overwhelming

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers practical skills for managing intense emotions, navigating difficult situations, and strengthening relationships. At Little Waves, DBT-informed skills are integrated into individual therapy in a developmentally appropriate way, helping children and teens build tools they can use in real-life situations.

This may include skills related to mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, depending on the individual's needs and goals.

DBT is based on the belief that you can learn to change even when change feels impossible and that acceptance and growth can happen at the same time.

The Four Core DBT Skill Areas

1
Mindfulness
The foundation of DBT: learning to notice thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment, and to stay present in the moment rather than being swept away.
2
Distress Tolerance
Skills for surviving crisis moments without making things worse: how to get through intense emotional pain without acting in ways you'll regret.
3
Emotional Regulation
Understanding and managing emotions: reducing vulnerability to emotional reactivity, and changing emotions that are getting in the way of a good life.
4
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Navigating relationships skillfully: asking for what you need, setting limits, and maintaining self-respect even in difficult interactions.
Who May Benefit
  • Teens with intense emotional reactions
  • Emotional dysregulation and frequent mood swings
  • Relationship difficulties and interpersonal conflict
  • Impulsive behaviour and poor distress tolerance
  • Depression and anxiety in teens
  • Teens who feel misunderstood or like emotions control them

Little Waves Therapy is not a crisis or DBT-intensive program. If your teen is in crisis, please contact a crisis line or emergency services.

Coping Tools That Pair With DBT-Informed Skills

Therapy builds practical skills, not just insight. These are some of the tools Lianne teaches. Flip each card to see how it works and when it helps most.

🌬️

Paced Breathing

Slow your nervous system fast

How it works

Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 2, out for 6. Repeat 4–5 times. The longer exhale signals safety to your body.

🧊

Grounding5-4-3-2-1

Anchor yourself to right now

How it works

Name 5 things you see, 4 to touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Pulls you out of worry and into the present.

🌡️

Feelings Check-In

Name it to tame it

How it works

Put a word to what you're feeling and where you feel it in your body. Labeling an emotion reduces its intensity.

🧩

Opposite Action

Act against the urge, shift the feeling

How it works

When an emotion pushes you toward something that makes things worse, do the opposite: reach out instead of withdrawing, soften instead of snapping.

💬

Self-Talk Reframe

Challenge the story, not just the feeling

How it works

Catch the thought behind the feeling. Ask: Is this true? Helpful? What would I say to a friend? Then try a more balanced version.

✦ Get Started

Help your teen build emotional skills

We offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation for new clients: a chance to connect, ask questions, and see if we're the right fit.

Secure booking via Jane App · 15 minutes · No obligation

FAQQuestions About DBT-Informed Skills
What is DBT and is it used for children?

DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) is a skills-based approach originally developed for adults but now well-adapted for teens and older children. It focuses on four skill areas: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Does my child need to have a diagnosis to use DBT skills?

No. DBT skills are helpful for any young person who struggles with intense emotions, impulsivity, or interpersonal conflict, regardless of diagnosis.

What's the difference between CBT and DBT?

CBT focuses primarily on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. DBT also validates the difficulty of a situation while building skills to change. DBT tends to be more focus on emotional regulation and is particularly helpful for teens with intense emotional experiences.