Learning DBT skills in therapy is just the beginning. The real magic happens when these skills become part of your family’s everyday life. Reinforcing and practicing DBT at home can help your child or teen feel supported and motivated, turning skills into lasting habits that improve emotional health, behavior, and relationships.
Why Home Practice Matters
Kids and teens benefit most from DBT when skills are practiced regularly outside therapy sessions. Therapy provides the tools, but home is where your child gets real-world experience using those tools. Consistent practice helps skills become natural reactions when stress or strong feelings arise.
Supporting Teens with DBT Skills at Home
Teen years come with a flood of emotions and growing independence. To support teenagers:
- Encourage Open Dialogue: Use calm moments to ask about what DBT skills they find most helpful. For example, “I noticed you used the STOP skill when you felt overwhelmed yesterday. How did that feel?”
- Respect Their Space: Teens often want autonomy; encourage practicing skills privately and offer support without pressure.
- Role-Play Real-Life Scenarios: Help your teen prepare for social challenges or tough conversations by practicing interpersonal skills like DEAR MAN together.
- Use Technology: Suggest mindfulness or distress tolerance apps tailored for teens to make skill practice more accessible and engaging.
Supporting Older Children (Ages 9-12) with DBT Skills
Children in this age group are developing more complex thinking and social awareness. You can:
- Make Skills Visual: Use charts or posters illustrating DBT steps like “STOP” or “Check the Facts” for quick reminders.
- Practice Together: Turn mindfulness exercises into family activities, such as mindful eating or nature walks focused on senses.
- Create a Skill Box: Help your child pick calming items like stress balls, coloring books, or favorite music to use when upset.
- Celebrate Effort: Notice and praise attempts to use skills, e.g., “I saw you took deep breaths before speaking up. That was very brave!”
Supporting Younger Children (Ages 5-8) with DBT Foundations
Younger kids can learn DBT skills through play and simple, concrete activities:
- Use Stories and Characters: Read books or tell stories that teach emotion naming, patience, and calming techniques.
- Engage in Play-Based Mindfulness: Try games like “Bubble Breathing” where children imagine blowing bubbles slowly to practice deep breaths.
- Model Emotion Regulation: Verbally name your own feelings and coping to normalize emotions, e.g., “I feel frustrated, so I’m going to take a deep breath.”
- Use Visual Cues: Use emotion charts or faces to help your child identify and communicate their feelings.
Simple Ways to Support DBT Skills Daily
- Create a Common Language: Use DBT terms like “mindfulness,” “check the facts,” or “STOP” during everyday moments. For example, when your child is upset, remind them to “pause and check the facts” about what’s really happening.
- Practice Mindfulness Together: Start the day with a brief deep breathing or grounding exercise. Use simple tools like the “5-4-3-2-1” grounding game to keep everyone present and calm.
- Model Emotion Regulation: Share your own feelings and coping strategies in age-appropriate ways. This shows kids it’s okay to have big emotions and that everyone can work through them.
- Use Role Play: Practice interpersonal skills like saying no or asking for help in a fun, low-pressure way. Role-playing helps kids feel confident to use these skills in real life.
- Build a “Skill Box”: Fill a box with calming items such as stress balls, favorite books, or music your child can use when feeling overwhelmed. This supports distress tolerance by providing quick access to soothing tools.
Encourage, Celebrate, and Be Patient with Your Child
Acknowledging your child’s efforts to use DBT skills builds their confidence. Even small steps deserve praise: “I noticed you took a deep breath before answering—great job!” Be patient as new skills take time to become habits, and setbacks are part of learning.
Partner with Your Child’s Therapist
Open communication with your child’s Marble Wellness therapist ensures consistent support. Therapists can offer specific recommendations tailored to your child and family routines. They may also coach parents in reinforcing skills at home to strengthen progress.
Bringing DBT skills into family life helps children and teens feel safer, understood, and more in control of their emotions. Over time, your whole family can enjoy calmer interactions, stronger bonds, and a greater sense of well-being.
Start DBT Therapy for Kids and Teens in the St. Louis Area
If you want guidance on how to weave these skills into your daily life or are exploring DBT therapy for your child or teen, our St. Louis area therapists are here to help every step of the way. Not only do we have a team of therapists in Ballwin, MO, but we have also recently expanded to serve the Lake St. Louis and Wentzville area! Reach out to our Client Care Coordinator today to discuss your therapy options, both in-person and via online therapy in Missouri.
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About Our St. Louis Area Therapists
The St. Louis area therapists at Marble Wellness are licensed mental health professionals serving clients in Ballwin, Lake St. Louis, and throughout the greater STL area, with online therapy in Missouri available across the state. Each member of our expert therapist team brings advanced training and extensive experience in areas like anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, and relationship concerns.
When you reach out, you are matched with a therapist whose background, specialties, and style align with your goals so you can have both practical tools for right now and deeper insight for long-term change. To learn more about the therapists at Marble Wellness, visit our Meet Our Team page to read individual bios, specialties, and locations, and to take the next step toward the calmer, more fulfilling life you’ve been wanting.
Additional Counseling Services at Marble Wellness in St. Louis, MO
Marble Wellness Counseling services are designed to help set you on a path of living a more fulfilled, calm, and happy life. Our St. Louis area therapists have a variety of training backgrounds and areas of expertise. We have child and play therapists, therapists for teens, EMDR therapists, men’s mental health experts, couples therapists, and more! We specialize in anxiety, depression, grief, chronic illness, trauma & PTSD, life transitions, and maternal overwhelm. Our practice also specifically helps new moms with various postpartum concerns, moms in the thick of parenting, and moms with teens. We can also chat from wherever you are in the state with online therapy in Missouri. No matter where you are in your journey, we are here to help you thrive!
