Online Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program

The Covid19 pandemic has brought unprecedented uncertainty, disrupted routine, and extreme stress to our families and communities.  In response, Community Presbyterian Counseling Center is offering  a virtual DBT class/small group that ensures physical safety while offering evidence-based treatment to promote personal resilience and a renewed sense of well-being. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT,  is a fancy name for practical and effective skills that reduce personal suffering from overwhelming emotions and damaging coping behaviors. The skills are effective for a variety of problems including overwhelming stress, destructive anger, addictions, impulsive behaviors, damaged relationships, and anxiety and depression. All sessions incorporate lecture, mindfulness exercises, and small group skill practice. DBT skills are simple and straight-forward, easy to learn, and taught in a group context that provides support for practice and accountability for change.

Session One: Distress Tolerance

Distress Tolerance Skills are designed to help you navigate stressful situations with greater freedom and skill. Instead of being impulsive or reactive, the skills allow you to calm and soothe yourself, allowing for more proactive and effective outcomes. Skills include mindfulness practice, paced breathing and progressive relaxation, and other techniques to reduce physiological distress.

Session Two: Emotion Regulation

Emotion regulation skills will increase your ability to navigate intense reactions to your feelings in new and more effective ways. Skills include recognizing your emotions, learning how emotions work, being mindful of your emotions without judgment, and reducing your vulnerability and reactivity to negative thoughts and feelings. Basic mindfulness skills are taught and practiced in each session to enhance emotional well-being.

Session Three: Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

Thursdays, February 11 – April 1, 5:30-7:30 pm

Interpersonal effectiveness skills are designed to help improve relationships with a focus on learning to identify and pursue your relationship goals, nurture the needs of your partner in intimate relationships, and maintain a healthy sense of self-respect. The skills include learning assertiveness, setting boundaries, and learning skills for building healthy relationships and tools for ending destructive relationships.

Cost: $520 for each 8-week session.

Registration: Each group is limited to twelve participants. All participants are required to have an individual therapist, and an intake interview is required prior to admission to the group.

Contact: Jeanne James, LMFT #43876, 510-703-2653,    -OR-

Community Presbyterian Counseling Center, (925) 820-1467,