I am a BIG fan of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and use it In individual therapy and with my teenage girls group. DBT is a type of therapy which basically teaches awareness, tolerating difficult emotions, and social /communication skills.

Although it is considered a “therapy,” I believe that many of the strategies and ways of thinking within DBT are things that we can practice in everyday life from an early age. See this book, which I reviewed on my Facebook page.

If you are an older child/adolescent/teen who struggles with intense emotions or unhealthy ways of coping with those intense emotions (self harm, for example.), DBT might be right for you.

Here are some examples of behavioral and thinking exercises within DBT.