Therapy for Children Using DBT on Long Island
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children (DBT-C) at Suffolk DBT of Long Island is a compassionate, evidence-based program for kids ages 7–12 who experience the world more intensely and have difficulty managing their reactions.
Some children show this outwardly through frequent outbursts, impulsive behavior, or difficulty following directions. Others struggle more quietly, appearing anxious, sad, withdrawn, overly sensitive, or easily overwhelmed by changes and expectations.
Many of these children are biologically more sensitive and reactive, meaning their nervous systems respond more quickly and more intensely and take longer to return to baseline.
DBT-C gently teaches children how to understand their big emotions, learn practical coping skills to calm down when upset, and kids learn to respond in ways that build confidence. We also focus on supporting caregivers in creating a more stable, validating, and connected home environment.
When Is DBT for Children a Better Fit Than Traditional Therapy?
Some children do well with traditional weekly therapy. Others need a more structured approach because intense emotions and behaviors are happening across many parts of daily life.
Parents often come to us after their child has already been in therapy but is still having frequent meltdowns, difficulty calming down, impulsive behavior, anxiety, school problems, conflict at home, or reactions that seem much bigger than the situation.
DBT-C is different because treatment does not focus only on what happens during the child’s individual session. Children learn practical emotion-regulation and coping skills, while parents are actively involved in treatment and learn how to respond differently at home. Families also use diary cards to identify patterns, practice skills between sessions, and receive coaching when difficult situations come up.
For children who struggle with emotional dysregulation, this more structured and family-involved approach can help create change not only in therapy, but in everyday life.
Looking for a Child Therapist on
Long Island ?
Our child therapy sessions are not simply, “Tell me how you feel,” or “Let’s play a game.” There is an order and purpose to the work we do together, with specific goals designed to help your child make progress. Our therapists look at the whole picture and help both children and parents learn skills to regulate emotions and respond differently to difficult situations. We use diary cards to identify patterns, understand what is getting in the way, and begin figuring out what needs to change.
A skilled child therapist helps your child understand not only what they are feeling, but what they can do with those feelings. Together, we look at the function of your child’s behavior, what may be reinforcing it in the environment, and how parents can respond in ways that support healthier behaviors. The goal is to provide counseling to help your child heal, grow, and develop skills that carry over into everyday life.
Child Therapy for Emotional
and Behavioral Challenges
Our DBT-C program provides counseling for children experiencing a range of emotional and behavioral challenges
Adhd
Attention & focus challenges
Depression
Persistent sadness & low mood
Child Anxiety
Worry & fear responses
DMDD
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation
Autism
Social & sensory support
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Pediatric Bipolar Disorder
Emotion Dysregulation
- ADHD
- Depression
- Childhood Anxiety
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation
- Autism
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Pediatric Bipolar Disorder
why is my Child so emotional?
You may be wondering why your child’s emotions seem so much bigger than the situation—or why, once upset, they have such a hard time calming down.
You may notice:
Frequent meltdowns, tantrums, or emotional outbursts
Anger, irritability, or aggression
Difficulty calming down once upset
Impulsive behavior or difficulty following directions
Anxiety, fears, or excessive worry
Shutting down, avoiding, or keeping feelings inside
Trouble making or keeping friends
School refusal, stomachaches, or headaches before school
You may feel like you’ve tried everything—and nothing is really working.
In DBT-C, we sometimes describe emotionally sensitive children as “Super Sensors.” They may experience emotions more intensely, react more quickly, and take longer to return to baseline. That same sensitivity can also come with wonderful qualities, including compassion, awareness, and a deep connection to others.
The goal is not to take away your child’s sensitivity. We help children understand their emotions and learn what to do with them, while helping parents understand the behaviors they are seeing and learn new ways to respond.
How DBT Helps Children With Big Emotions and Behavior
Raising a child is rarely easy no matter how many children you’re parenting. Every child has a unique temperament, needs, and challenges, and there is no instruction manual. Like all parents, you are doing the best you can with the tools you have.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT-C) for children is designed to support you and your family by helping to:
Reduce severe emotional and behavioral challenges
our DBT Program for Children and Parents
- Parent Management Training is an integral part of our DBT-C program. Parents attend a training for 15 weeks while their child is meeting with their Individual DBT Therapist.
- Using DBT-C principles and strategies, parents and children learn and practice skills together, creating a shared language for understanding emotions and behavior.
- Treatment focuses on identifying patterns of reinforcement through the diary card, adjusting the environment to better match the child’s emotional needs, and strengthening caregivers’ ability to support regulation rather than escalation.
- Grounded in the DBT assumption that everyone is doing the best they can, this collaborative approach helps families build more effective, compassionate, and sustainable ways of responding to big emotions. Phone coaching is available between sessions.
- After the initial parent intake, individual sessions begin with the child during the first few weeks of treatment.
- This phase focuses on building a strong therapeutic relationship, introducing core DBT-C skills, and establishing treatment commitment.
- A DBT diary card is introduced early and used throughout care.
- After about four weeks, parents begin joining sessions and are introduced to a parent diary card.
- Parent-only sessions may be added as needed based on progress and family support needs.
- Individual sessions are one hour per week.
- The therapist works collaboratively with the child and family to identify skill needs, review progress, and support skill use at home, school, and in daily life.
- Teaches core DBT skills—Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness—adapted for children.
- Skills are taught using kid-friendly language, including the concept of “super sensors,” to help children understand heightened emotional and sensory sensitivity.
- Skill use is supported across the entire family, so children are not practicing alone.
- Emotions, behaviors, skills, are tracked through the DBT diary card, which helps identify patterns and skill gaps.
- A point chart is first introduced to parents as part of parent management training, and later developed collaboratively with the child, allowing them to choose meaningful rewards.
- Points are earned for skills used, reinforcing positive change and motivation.
How We Use
DBT Diary Cards With Children and Parents
A DBT diary card is a simple, child-friendly tool that helps track emotions, behaviors, and skill use each day. It gives your child a way to understand their feelings and helps our therapists identify patterns so we can teach the right skills at the right time.
Parents are also an important part of the process. Caregivers complete their own diary cards to track their emotions, responses, and skill use—helping create a shared language and more effective, supportive interactions at home.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about building awareness, confidence, and progress over time. Our therapy includes parents for a reason because change happens when everyone is working together. Evidence shows that family involvement is a key indicator of change with kids.
Phone Support Between Sessions for Children and Parents
DBT isn’t just what happens in session. With phone coaching, your child and family can get real-time support when emotions feel overwhelming, behaviors appear out of control—helping them apply skills in the moment where real change can actually happen.
Helping Emotionally Dysregulated Children Break the Cycle
Overwhelmed by their overwhelming emotions, your child might react in ways that seem confusing and alarming.
And, that reactivity likely has negative consequences, whether that means punishment from parents at home, criticism from teachers, getting in trouble at school, or judgment from their peers. As a result, your child might feel invalidated and rejected.
However, they also learn that acting out gets their needs met. In an attempt to have their feelings and wants heard, they might continue acting out, feeding a destabilizing cycle that can continue into adulthood. We know how important this time of development is for children and we are here to help create lasting change.
DBT Therapy for Children in Suffolk County,
Nassau County, and NYC
Ready to Get Started and speak with an Intake Specialist?
Suffolk DBT provides comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in our Long Island and Manhattan offices and through secure telehealth across New York State.
Our experienced clinicians support children and families struggling with intense emotions, anxiety, depression, self-harm behaviors, and other emotion-regulation challenges. We work closely with parents and caregivers so children feel understood, supported, and empowered at home and at school.
Through DBT skills training and full-model treatment, children learn how to manage big feelings, behavioral outbursts, and build healthier ways of coping. Our therapists participate in consultation team and offer between-session coaching so families have guidance when it matters most.
If your child is struggling, support is available. Contact Suffolk DBT to learn how DBT can help your child build skills for a more stable, confident future.
Completely confidential. Only takes 10-15 minutes.
