Teen Therapy using DBT on Long Island & NYC
You may not be searching for DBT. You may simply know that your teenager is struggling and that the counseling you have tried so far is not enough.
Your teen may be overwhelmed by anxiety or depression, shutting down, having explosive reactions, struggling with friendships, refusing school, engaging in self-harm, having suicidal thoughts, or repeatedly ending up in crises despite already being in therapy.
These patterns can be signs that a teen needs more support than traditional once-a-week talk therapy provides. We provide Teen therapy in Mt. Sinai, Babylon, Roslyn Heights, and NYC with Telehealth available in New York.
When Should you Consider Counseling for your Teen?
You’re Not Alone and There is Support
If your teenager feels overwhelmed by their emotions, you’re not alone. Many parents notice mood swings, emotional outbursts, anxiety, depression, failing grades, drug use, or withdrawal and aren’t sure how to help. DBT-A is designed to support teens in learning healthier ways to manage emotions while helping families feel more supported and less alone. At Suffolk DBT of Long Island our teen therapists offer teen counseling to treat :
- Anxiety
- Self Harm
- ADHD
- School Avoidance
- Drugs & Alcohol
If your teen is not functioning at their best or achieving their highest potential, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for teens can be the answer to helping them find both community and sustained happiness. In-person DBT therapy by our Suffolk DBT Team for teens is offered at our Suffolk DBT offices in Mount Sinai, Babylon, our Nassau County office in Roslyn Heights, NYC, and Queens DBT Therapy for teens , with virtual DBT-A services for teens available throughout New York State.
Looking for a Teen Therapist on
Long Island ?
Our teen therapy sessions are not simply, “Tell me how you feel.” There is an order and purpose to the work we do together, with specific goals designed to help your teen make progress. Our therapists are trained to look at the whole picture and help teens begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together. We may look at sleep, substance use, being late or missing school and appointments, relationships, family conflict, avoiding therapy sessions, and the behaviors that may be making life harder.
Being a teenager can mean trying to make sense of a whole lot during an already difficult time. A skilled teen therapisthelps your teen understand not only what they are feeling, but what is happening in their life, what patterns are keeping them stuck, and what they can actually do differently. Together, therapist and teen work toward meaningful goals and practical changes that can carry over into everyday life.
How We Provide
Teen Counseling and Pre-Teen Counseling
using DBT Therapy
- In teen individual therapy, your therapist reviews your diary card, sets an agenda, checks in about group, and focuses on the behaviors and challenges most important to address that week. Sessions include problem-solving around skill use, practicing DBT skills, and making sure space is held for what matters most to you.
- Our DBT-A multi-family skills group brings teens and their parents/caregivers together to learn DBT skills side by side. Families are taught practical tools for managing emotions, reducing conflict, improving communication, and responding more effectively during difficult moments at home.
- Phone coaching provides real-time support between sessions to help teens apply DBT skills when challenges arise. Teen phone coaching is provided by the individual therapist, while parent coaching is available through the skills group leader or co-leader to support skillful responses at home.
Can DBT Therapy Help My Adolescent?
DBT-A (Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents) is designed for teens who struggle with intense emotions, big reactions, or behaviors that feel hard to manage even with the best intentions and support at home.The goal for therapy is to help your teen develop healthier coping skills for managing emotions and replace behaviors that may work in the moment, to take away their pain but are hurting them in the long run.
Some teens express their distress outwardly through anger, impulsivity, or conflict, while others keep everything inside, shutting down, feeling frozen, withdrawing, or hiding how much they are hurting. Some teens struggle with self-harm, intense self-criticism, bullying, or thoughts like “I don’t want to be here anymore” because they are trying to escape overwhelming emotional pain.
Many teens who benefit from DBT-A feel overwhelmed by school stress, friendships, family relationships, or their own emotions. Many teens avoid things like homework, going to school, or dealing with conflict because avoidance temporarily removes anxiety or emotional pressure. It provides immediate relief but teaches patterns that will not work in the long run and if not addressed now, may very well continue into adulthood. Parents will often support this as it is painful to see your teen hurting.
Parents often come to DBT-A feeling worried, exhausted, or unsure how to help. This program supports both teens and parents, so everyone learns the same skills and language to improve communication, reduce conflict, and build a more stable home environment.
DBT Groups for Teens & Adolescents
DBT skills groups for teens help adolescents become more aware of their emotions, thoughts, urges, and reactions so they can begin making more intentional choices instead of reacting automatically in the moment. Teens learn practical DBT skills for managing intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, anxiety, self-harm urges, relationship conflict, and emotional overwhelm.
In DBT-A, teens and parents learn skills together through a structured multi-family group that teaches mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and walking the middle path. Teens learn how to get through crises without making situations worse, understand what emotions may be communicating, and respond more effectively in relationships. Walking the middle path helps teens learn to see situations from different perspectives, reduce black-and-white thinking, and better understand both themselves and the people around them.”
Why we use Diary Cards to guide sessions?
DBT diary cards help teens track emotions, urges, impulsive behaviors, self-harm urges, and DBT skill use throughout the week. There are many behaviors and targets that may be tracked, and in DBT we organize them according to the DBT hierarchy.
The first priority is addressing suicidal and self-injurious behaviors, if those are present. Next, we focus on behaviors that interfere with therapy, such as not completing the diary card, avoiding skills practice, refusing to participate in sessions, or difficulties engaging in treatment consistently. After that, we address quality-of-life behaviors, which may include emotional outbursts, substance use, eating disorder behaviors, shoplifting, relationship conflict, school avoidance, or other behaviors that interfere with building a stable and meaningful life.
The hierarchy helps keep treatment focused on creating gradual steps toward the life your teen wants to build. By identifying patterns between sessions, diary cards help both the teen and therapist understand what is working, where emotional or behavioral challenges are showing up, and what may need more support or problem solving.
Diary cards also help sessions stay focused, organized, and targeted toward emotional regulation, reducing problem behaviors, increasing effective coping skills, and building healthier patterns in daily life.
How Parents are involved in
DBT Therapy for Teens & Adolescents
“Many parents come to us wondering, ‘What did I do wrong?’ ‘Am I too lenient?’ or ‘Am I too strict?’”
In DBT-A, parents are not on the sidelines. The multi-family group is co-led by trained clinicians who also serve as points of contact for skills coaching and guidance. Parents learn how to respond in ways that support progress — especially during emotionally intense moments.
There are also opportunities for family sessions, where parents and teens can meet together to:
• Review what’s getting in the way
• Strengthen communication
• Learn how to support change at home in a realistic, compassionate way
Reduce severe emotional and behavioral challenges
Adolescent Therapy & DBT Across Long Island and NYC
We provide specialized DBT therapy for teens and adolescents across Suffolk County and Nassau County on Long Island, as well as Manhattan.
Families come to us for teen therapy from surrounding communities including Mount Sinai, Babylon, Roslyn Heights, Queens and nearby areas. Our structured DBT program helps teenagers build emotional regulation skills, improve relationships, and develop healthier coping strategies.
Why Family Involvement Matters in Teen Therapy
DBT works best when both adolescents and parents actively engage in the treatment process. Real change happens when families practice DBT skills between sessions and apply what they are learning in everyday life , not just during therapy.
Teens learn practical ways to manage intense emotions, impulsive or reactive behaviors, relationship conflict, and emotional overwhelm. Parents learn practical tools to improve communication, respond more effectively during emotional situations, and support progress at home without escalating conflict.
When the whole family commits to the process, treatment becomes more effective and lasting change is more likely to happen.
DBT for Teens & Parents in Suffolk County, Nassau County, & NYC
online DBT Therapy for Teens and Adolescents throughout New York State
Can’t make it to one of our four locations? Suffolk DBT also offers expert online Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to children & teens, adults, and families throughout the entire state of New York including Westchester County , Albany, Rochester, Syracuse , and Buffalo.
Whether you’re navigating a busy schedule, live in a remote area, or simply prefer the comfort of therapy at home, our virtual sessions provide the same high-quality, evidence-based care.
Wherever you are in New York, we’re here to support you on your mental health journey.
Ready To Begin DBT Therapy for Teens? Speak With an Intake Specialist
Suffolk DBT provides specialized Dialectical Behavior Therapy for teens & Adolescents struggling with intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, interpersonal conflict, and emotion dysregulation.
Our experienced DBT clinicians work closely with teens and families to provide structured, evidence-based treatment that builds practical coping skills and supports lasting change.
During your screening call, our intake team will learn more about your teen’s needs, answer your questions, and help determine whether our DBT-A program is the right fit.
Completely confidential. Only takes 10-15 minutes.
