DBT-Informed Coaching for Boys & Young Men (Ages 8–18)

What Will My Son Learn?

Here’s how we can help you and your family.

Learning to guide attention intentionally—like a flashlight—helps build awareness of thoughts, emotions, and surroundings, making it easier to stay present during difficult tasks and pause before reacting.
Emotional regulation involves recognizing feelings early, understanding what triggers them, and choosing thoughtful responses instead of impulsive reactions—strengthening resilience and a greater sense of emotional control.
Distress tolerance is the ability to navigate uncomfortable or unfair moments without escalating them—learning to sit with difficult emotions, plan ahead for challenges, and recover when things don’t go as expected.
Interpersonal effectiveness is the ability to communicate needs clearly while respecting others—advocating for oneself without aggression, maintaining healthy boundaries, building relationships, and navigating conflict with maturity and respect.
Executive functioning involves planning ahead, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and building simple systems that support organization, follow-through, and greater ease in handling school and daily responsibilities.
Neurodivergent-informed support focuses on understanding how ADHD, autism, anxiety, or learning differences show up in everyday life, and developing practical strategies that work with a young person’s natural strengths while supporting focus, organization, and emotional regulation.

Sessions can take place in a variety of settings depending on what works best.
• Community spaces such as parks, coffee shops, libraries, recreation centers, or gyms
• The client’s home (when appropriate)
• Virtual sessions when needed
The goal is to choose environments where skills can be practiced in real-life situations.
A few simple steps help set the foundation for the coaching process.
• An intake form is completed
• Parents attend a short 15-minute consultation call
• The first session focuses on establishing goals and direction
This helps ensure sessions are tailored to the youth’s needs.
Each session follows a consistent but flexible structure.
• A check-in about what happened since the last session
• Review of previously practiced skills
• Coaching and teaching of a new or continued skill
• Psychoeducation when relevant
• Collaborative agenda setting
• Real-life application through activities and practice
Sessions are designed to be structured, collaborative, and practical. Many sessions involve movement, walking, or activity-based learning so skills can be applied in real time.
Parents may receive a brief skill summary after sessions.
• A clear explanation of the skill practiced
• Simple guidance for how the skill can continue to be used or practiced between sessions
The goal is to support consistent progress and real-world application.