My child is joyful.
Resilient Together
A DBT-C Informed Program
Does your child have BIG feelings?
Are you at a loss on how to help them?
Are you worried about your child’s future?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children (DBT-C) was designed specifically for sensitive children who have challenges with emotion regulation. We like to call these kiddos "Supersensors" because they feel everything deeply-both the positive and negative feelings. These children are some of the most creative, kind, big-hearted souls but they also may struggle with big behaviors, temper tantrums, aggression, demand-avoidance, social difficulties, rumination, or inflexibility.
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DBT-C is a research-backed therapy for these children. It has been found to help with many forms of dysregulation, including anxiety, depression, anger, and aggression. DBT-C takes a different approach, putting the parent at the heart of treatment. In typical therapy, your child meets with their therapist once a week and parents aren’t actively involved in the treatment. The DBT-C model recognizes that parent have the ultimate influence on their child. Not only do you spend significantly more time with your child, but naturally you are their biggest role model and influence. We help you harness this power so that you can become your child’s trusted, go- to support and coach through challenging moments, emotions, and problems.
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In this program, we will help you build the foundations to decrease household chaos, increase regulation, and improve your family’s life. You will learn strategies to prevent escalation and confidently respond to challenging emotions and behaviors. We will help you identify and rewrite unhelpful behavioral patterns between you and your child, mending and strengthening your relationship. The tools you gain from this program will not only help your Supersensor child long after our work together is done, but can be used to support the entire household. If you are looking for guidance to get things back on track with your child, this program may be for you.
Is This Program Right for You?
My Child...
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My child is emotionally sensitive.
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My child's emotions go from 0-100.
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My child takes a long time to cool down after being upset.
My Home...
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My home feels chaotic and stressful.
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It feels like I am walking on eggshells to not upset my child.
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My child's behaviors are impacting their relationship with myself or other family members.
As a Parent...
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I get caught up in power-struggles with my child.
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I need guidance on how to manage big emotions and behaviors.
Program Structure
DBT-C Involves 3 Types of Treatment:
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Parent Training
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Child Therapy
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Parent & Child (Family)Skills Training
​Before We Start
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Intake appointments & orientation to treatment (2-3 sessions)
Program Structure
I. Weekly Session (60-90 minutes)
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Individual Therapy - 30+ minutes
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Family Skills Training - 30 minutes
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Additional Parent Support
II. Monthly
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Parent Superparenting Class 2x/month (6-months long)
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1 required individual parenting session and additional sessions as needed
Session structure is highly dependent on the needs of the client. The parenting portion can be completed in a few different formats, including in a bimonthly group or through individual, weekly parenting sessions. No matter the format, parents should be prepared to be actively involved in their child's weekly sessions, participate in parenting training sessions, and complete take-home practice assignments between sessions. ​
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Treatment Length
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6-12 months
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*Due to our small practice size, we are not able to provide phone coaching like a full DBT program. This may mean that children with certain high risk behaviors are not a good fit for our program.
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Meet Your Therapist
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Katie McClure, LMSW, MAPP has a passion for prevention in the mental health field. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and trained in ​comprehensive DBT settings working with adults, adolescents, and families. Katie has continued her education in DBT, completing the following DBT trainings:
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DBT for Children
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Trained by: Dr. Francheska Perepletchikova, Ph.D., founder of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children (DBT-C)
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DBT & Eating Disorders
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Trained by: Portland DBT Institute
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DBT Skills Training: The Fundamentals
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Trained by: DBT Institute of Michigan​
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DBT Adolescent & MultiFamily Training
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Trained by: DBT Institute of Michigan​
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Core DBT Training
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Trained DBT Institute of Michigan​
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Katie also obtained her Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Positive Psychology studies wellbeing and what helps humans thrive. Katie prides herself in incorporating positive psychology into her therapy to build confidence in children, support the wellbeing of stressed out caregivers, and strengthen relationships within the family.
