Dialectical Behavior Therapy Applied to Parent Skills Training: Adjunctive Treatment for Parents With Difficulties in Affect Regulation

Abstract

Poor outcomes in parent training programs have been associated with parental psychopathology in general, and difficulties in parental affect regulation in particular. Although many parents may be able to learn behavioral management skills in a controlled therapy setting, for those who experience affect dysregulation, generalization of these skills to the natural environment may be challenging when their emotions are aroused. Parents, particularly those who struggle with affect dysregulation around their child's behavior, may benefit from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) because it specifically targets problems in emotion regulation. Thus, the purpose of this article is to discuss relevant aspects of DBT (e.g., dialectics, biosocial model, and validation) and highlight its applicability to parents who struggle with affect dysregulation. Several clinical case studies will also be presented to elucidate how mental health professionals can address the affect dysregulation in parents by teaching them DBT skills to manage their own negative emotions, particularly when their child's behavior is the source of emotional arousal.