WRITTEN BY SARAH RIVERA, LPC-S: DBT for Teens: How Parents Can Support Emotional Growth is all about giving both you and your teen tools to handle life’s challenges. Teens face a lot — GPA pressures, friend drama, relationship problems, making the team, homework, frustration with teachers, sibling fights, and even overbearing parents. It’s easy for parents to forget just how stressful their teen’s world can be. In this post, we’ll explore how Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) can help teens manage big emotions, accept what they can’t control, and build healthier relationships.

What Is DBT?

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that teaches people how to accept things they can’t control, build healthy relationships, and manage strong emotions. The word dialectical means two things can be true at the same time. For example, you can accept something without liking it, feel relief and sadness at the same time, or be frustrated and still make a good choice.

The Four Pillars of DBT

DBT is built on four main skill areas:

1. 1. Mindfulness – Staying in the moment without judgment.
   2. Distress Tolerance – Getting through tough situations without making things worse.
   3. Emotion Regulation – Understanding and managing strong feelings.
   4. Interpersonal Effectiveness – Communicating and setting healthy boundaries.

What Is Emotion Regulation?

Emotion regulation means noticing what you feel, figuring out where that feeling is coming from, and choosing what to do next instead of letting the emotion take over. Before your teen can manage emotions, they first have to notice them. Once they do, they can slow down, think about what’s really going on, and make a choice that lines up with their values — not just their feelings. It’s not about ignoring emotions or pretending they aren’t there; it’s about taking the driver’s seat instead of letting those emotions steer the car. Like any skill, it takes practice, and the more your teen works at it, the easier it becomes to handle stress in healthy ways.

How Parents Can Help

Helping your teen cope with emotions starts with you.

• • Model the skills – Show them how you calm down under stress.
  • Validate before fixing – Say, “I can see you’re stressed,” before jumping into solutions.
  • Name the feeling – Help them figure out what they might be feeling.
  • Create a calm environment – Your stress level affects theirs.

Kids often mirror what they see. If you approach problems calmly, they are more likely to do the same.

DBT Skills That Help With Stress

Learning emotion regulation takes more than just “calming down.” DBT gives teens practical tools they can use in the moment, especially when feelings are running high. These skills aren’t about ignoring emotions — they’re about finding ways to respond that keep the situation from getting worse and help your teen feel more in control.

Here are a few key DBT skills for emotion regulation:

1. Feelings Are Not Facts

Feelings can be intense, but that doesn’t make them true. Help your teen check the facts and see if their emotions match the situation.
Example: If they didn’t get invited to a party, it doesn’t mean no one likes them — it may just mean space was limited.

2. Opposite Action

When emotions push them toward something unhelpful (like isolating when they feel hurt), they can choose the opposite action (like reaching out to a friend). This helps shift their mood and keep relationships strong.

Why a Therapist Can Help

As teens grow, they naturally seek more independence and start making more of their own choices. That’s a normal and healthy part of development — but it can also mean they don’t always want to take advice from parents. Sometimes the same message you’ve been saying for years will click instantly when it comes from a coach, teacher, or therapist. This isn’t because you’re doing anything wrong; it’s simply that teens often respond differently when they hear something from another trusted adult.

A DBT-trained therapist can:

• • Teach and practice these skills in real time
  • Reinforce what you’ve already modeled at home
  • Help your teen handle emotions in healthier ways
  • Loop you in so you can stay on top of what’s going on with your child too.

If your teen is struggling with stress, we can help. Contact La Luz Counseling to learn how DBT and other therapy approaches can support your teen and your family.

WRITTEN BY BRITNEY VINCENT, LPC: If back-to-school season is leaving you wonderinf how to support your child’s mental health this school year, you’re not alone. Sure, anticipation of the new school year can bring excitement and eagerness, but let’s be real- sometimes there’s a mix of anxiety and overwhelm too. We are preparing ourselves for packing lunches, checking homework, and managing all the changes.

While routines and check-ins go a long way, mental health support doesn’t stop there. Here are five ways you can support your child’s emotional well-being as they head back to school.

1. Talk About What’s in Their Control

School can feel unpredictable. What friends will be in the class? Who will the teacher be? What time is lunch? Alot of these questions you may not have an answer to. So instead of talking about the possibilities, focus on things you know. Help your child focus on what they can control—what to pack for lunch, what to wear on their first day, or choosing to be kind. This is known to build confidence and reduce anxiety.

“We can’t control everything, but let’s talk about what we can control.”

2. Create a Worry-Release Routine

Kids often carry stress without the words to tell us what they’re feeling. Start a simple daily routine to let those worries go—like writing them on paper and tossing them in a “worry jar,” praying them out loud in the morning drive, or whispering them into a stuffed animal before bed. These simple routines help kids name their worries and let them go.

This helps move the stress out of their body and gives them the tools to share what they’re feeling and ask for help.

3. Limit Over-Scheduling

It can be easy to pack every afternoon with sports, clubs, and extra activities, but kids need unstructured time to relax and recharge. Think about yourself- don’t you ever get tired doing all the driving, all the prepping, all the planning and we’re not even the ones doing the activity! Imagine your kiddo: a mental demand for 8 hours at school, then another 2 physically or mentally demanding hours in the afternoon. Give them space to simply play, daydream, or unwind to strengthen creativity and help emotions regulate.

Think of rest as essential as homework—it helps build a healthy, balanced life and teaches us that it’s okay to take time for ourselves.

4. Speak Kindly About Mistakes

Back-to-school can bring fear of failure or perceiving they’ve done something wrong. When your child makes a mistake, respond with curiosity instead of criticism. This encourages your child to see mistakes as something to learn from and develop a more positive, forgiving view of themselves.

“Everyone messes up. What do you think you could try next time?”

5. Include Mental Health in Your Family Conversations

Make emotional well-being a normal part of family life. Talk about emotions as something healthy, not something to hide. Share stories of your own emotions that day. The more you normalize these topics, the safer your child will feel bringing up their own struggles and coming to you for support when they’re struggling.

When I woke up this morning I felt so scatter-brained I was nervous I might forget something important. But then I remembered there’s nothing so big I can’t handle one step at a time.

When to Reach Out

If your child’s anxiety or stress feels like more than you can manage alone, don’t wait to seek support. How do you know when it’s become too big? If your mornings are consistently derailed, you’re frequently late to school due to meltdowns, or you’re getting regular calls from the school nurse or counselor, it may be time to take a closer look. While it’s normal for kids to get emotional, persistent episodes—especially those lasting more than 15 minutes and happening multiple times a day—can be a sign that they need extra support. Counseling can offer tools, language, and guidance to help children and families navigate these big emotions together.

At La Luz Counseling, we’re here to walk alongside your family. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can support you and your child this school year.

Why do minority groups avoid therapy? It’s a question that mental health professionals, advocates, and community members continue to explore—and the answers are layered. Despite the growing awareness around mental wellness, individuals from minority backgrounds often face unique cultural, social, and systemic barriers that make finding and accepting counseling much more difficult.

In this blog, we’ll break down four key reasons why therapy can feel out of reach for many—and what we can do to bridge the gap.

1. Physical Problems Get More Attention Than Mental Health Problems

It’s very common for people in minority groups to seek help from medical doctor before thinking of a mental health provider. That’s because many emotional struggles first show up in the body.

Unexplained headaches, stomach pain, or chest tightness might not be medical at all—but symptoms of emotional distress. This is known as psychosomatic pain. Anxiety attacks, for example, often lead people to the emergency room, convinced they’re having a heart attack. When traditional physical treatments don’t work, the underlying issue is often emotional or psychological.

Unfortunately, without culturally informed education on mental health, people may continue to seek physical remedies for mental wounds.

2. Feeling Ashamed to Get Help

In many minority households, therapy is still seen as something for people who are “crazy” or severely disturbed. As a Latina counselor, I’ve seen both sides of this coin—family members who proudly share that I’m a therapist… yet would never consider counseling for themselves.

For older generations especially, emotional challenges are handled privately. The cultural mindset often says: “You don’t air your dirty laundry” or “Just be strong and it will pass.” This stigma runs deep and discourages people from asking for the help they need.

3. Hard to Find A Mental Health Therapist You Can Relate To

Relatability matters. Many clients feel more comfortable with a therapist who looks like them, speaks their language, or understands their cultural background. Unfortunately, there’s still a shortage of therapists from diverse backgrounds.

Let’s say an older Mexican man prefers to speak Spanish and wants someone who shares his generational and cultural experience. Depending on where he lives, that could be difficult to find. The mismatch in language, culture, or lived experience can create another barrier to seeking support.

4. Don’t Know Where to Start

Finally, some people simply don’t know where to start. They don’t know what kind of help they need, who to ask, or what therapy really involves. The process feels foreign—especially for someone who’s never seen therapy modeled in their family or community.

Even as a mental health professional myself, I’ve faced challenges finding the right therapist. So I can only imagine how confusing it must feel for someone unfamiliar with the mental health landscape. Without clear direction or culturally accessible information, avoidance becomes the default.

How We Can Help Bridge the Gap

Talk About Mental Health in Everyday Places

Mental health doesn’t have to be a scary or private topic. We can start talking about it in places people already trust—like churches, schools, or community events. When we have honest conversations about stress, emotions, or therapy, it helps others feel like it’s okay to ask for help too. The more we talk, the less scary it feels.

Find Therapists Who Understand Your Culture

It’s easier to open up when your therapist understands your background. That’s why it’s important to have more therapists who speak your language or know your culture. We can also support programs that help more people of color become counselors, so everyone has a better chance of finding someone they can relate to. 

¿Está buscando una consejera que hable español? ¡Estamos aquí para ayudarle!