Skills Groups

The skills groups are divided into four modules:

1. Emotion Regulation Skills - Participants learn skills to decrease intense emotions. This is an 8-week module.

2.Distress Tolerance Skills - Participants learn skills to tolerate emotional distress without resorting to impulsive behaviors such as self-harm, alcohol or drug abuse, overeating, food restricting, overspending, and gambling. This is an 8-week module.

3. Interpersonal Skills - Participants learn to make requests of others effectively and to say, “no” to others as needed. This is an 8-week module.

4. Mindfulness - Participants learn to be mindful of themselves and their environment resulting in increased self-awareness and potential for increasingly satisfying contact with others. The ability to focus and refocus attention is a foundational skill that is emphasized in all the modules. This 2-week module is offered at the beginning of each of the other modules.

The entire Skills Program takes about six months. Many people find it beneficial to repeat the program at least once.

The 2-week Mindfulness modules are “open” groups which means new participants can attend, get oriented to the group structure and see if the group is a good “fit” for them without making a commitment.

The 8-week modules are “closed” groups which means that those attending have made a commitment to participate for the length of the module. Generally, no new group members are added once an 8-week module has begun. Group size is limited to eight participants.