Family DBT of Florida is excited to announce that Kristal Pollack is currently being trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Children (DBT-C). She has already received the initial trainings in DBT-C and the next step in the training process is experiential training and working with a specific DBT-C consultation team. This means that now Family DBT of Florida will be able to work with children ranging from 7-12 years old. Kristal has been extensively trained in DBT and is excited to be in the training process for DBT-C.
Children who may benefit from DBT-C are often described as thinking, behaving, and feeling in extremes. This may be seen in inflexible thinking, quick decision making with no thought about possible consequences, or feeling their emotions more strongly that others their age. These are just a few examples.
DBT-C is structured a little differently than other forms of DBT. DBT-C works with both the child and the parent so that the child can be best supported and aided with their coping skills. While at the moment DBT-C only has individual session, the skills that are typically taught during group, are taught in the individual sessions.
The following is the layout for DBT-C:
Assessment Phase
Therapy Phase (90-minute sessions)
Week 1-2 Pre-treatment with parents only
Week 3-9 Treatment with parents only
Week 10-12 Child starts therapy when parents are ready and able to support their child’s progress
Week 13-18 Child and parents in therapy together
Week 19- Child and parents in therapy together