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Blog

DBT SKILLS And SUPPORT For PARENTS

Dear Clients & Colleagues:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022

The Conference Center at Mercer County Community College

Lona Stranieri, LCSW 

Workshop Description

This workshop will provide an overview of the core components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). You will also learn who is most appropriate for DBT, what participants can hope to gain from this type of mental health treatment, and how to identify competent providers.

Meet Lona Stranieri, LCSW

Lona Stranieri, a DBT-Linehan Board Certified ClinicianTM, is the founder and director of Princeton Center for DBT and Counseling. She has extensive training and clinical experience in providing DBT therapy as well as other cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness-based-psychotherapies.

 

DBT SKILLS And SUPPORT For PARENTS

Starting on March 21st, 2019 we have a DBT Skills & Support for Parents .  

This group Runs Concurrently with our

weekly Adolescent DBT Skills Group - 6pm– 7pm.

Space is limited so please reserve a spot or call early for more information.

Learn How to “Walk The Middle Path”

For more information click here to visit our Group Page

RUTGERS (2019) School of Social Work Continuing Education for Social Workers:

Lona Stranieri, LCSW will conduct a three part workshop in June 2019

(Continuing Ed Hours 15.00 Clinical)


Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): 

Theory, Structure, and Skills (ID: 5248)

When: Friday

  • June 14, 2019
  • June 21, 2019
  • July 28, 2019

9:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Where: RUTGERS New Brunswick

390 George St, 3rd floor – CLASSROOM B, New Brunswick,  New Jersey

Link To Rutgers - Find Out More or to Register 


390 George St, 3rd floor – CLASSROOM A

A Mindful Holiday Season

For some the holiday season is busy and overwhelming.  For others it’s  lonely and sad.  Regardless of what the holidays bring for you, here is a  list of things to try that may help you stay present, regulate your  emotions (whatever they are), and perhaps have a moment of joy here and  there.  Just remember to let go of holiday multi-tasking and try doing  these activities one mindfully… 


 

  • Light a scented holiday candle and enjoy the fragrance
  • Watch the flicker of a fire or a candle
  • Bake your favorite holiday treat and eat it mindfully, savoring every morsel
  • Curl up in a warm blanket in your favorite chair
  • Cuddle with your favorite person or pet
  • Sing your favorite holiday song (really loud) and don’t worry if you’re off key
  • Listen to your favorite holiday music
  • Watch a great classic film
  • Drink your favorite tea or cocoa, take time to smell it and notice its warmth
  • Observe the decorations and lights on houses and shops
  • Take a walk in the cold
  • Take a warm bath in peppermint scented oil
  • Set your table with beautiful dishes and enjoy your favorite meal
  • Donate time or goods to someone less fortunate
  • Take in the sights, the sounds, the smells and the warmth of the season one at a time
  • Just breath…

Adolescent DBT Skills Group – Starting October 2017

 We are currently enrolling for the Adolescent DBT Skills group. Please call 609-921-0020 to learn more or schedule an intake.

In Like a Lion and Out Like a Lamb

 

March is notorious for being a month of unpredictable weather.  We’re  never quite sure if we will have winter or spring.  Some early spring  flowers pop right through the snow, determined to have their season  regardless of the temperature or conditions.  March represents a real  dialect – the promise of longer days and warmer temps and the reminder that the cold and dampness of winter is not yet behind us.

This time of year requires a certain flexibility and openness to  change that we don’t have to have quite so much of other times of the  year.  We are forced to accept that two things that appear to be  opposite are both true and can co-exist – two seasons at the same time.   How do we survive March without going crazy?  Our wardrobes are in a  constant state of flux  – one day short sleeves and open toes and the  next back to turtlenecks and boots.  Do we haul our spring wardrobe out  and freeze on colder days or do we just wear the winter stuff and sweat a  little more?

Like any dialect this one can be resolved by allowing two opposites  to co-exist and accept that both are true.  It is neither completely  winter nor is it completely spring.  We need both our winter clothes and  our spring clothes.  Essentially, we need to be flexible and move with  the changing conditions back and forth, and in and out.

If we fight it and will only accept one or the other – all or nothing  – we suffer.  Because the one thing that remains true in life is that  there is no absolute truth.  Things just aren’t black and white.  So  March may or may not come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.  It may  be both on and off throughout the month.  And the more we can allow  this “both, and” instead of “either, or” approach to life in general,  the greater our capacity for peace in our lives.

Do I have to Meditate to be Mindful?

Living in the present moment with acceptance and attention to what is  might be described as living mindfully. Mindfulness is often  misunderstood. Many believe it to be a meditation practice when  actually, meditation is the practice of mindfulness. Meditation is  simply a way to cultivate mindfulness in our lives, the true essence of  which is a way of living – awake, aware, and available to what is, to  the possibilities of NOW. It is the willingness to live in the present  and to accept it without judgment.

If we are unhappy with the state of our self, our life, and our  circumstances, why would anyone suggest that NOW is the place to bring  our attention? First off, the ability to be in the present with  acceptance will allow us to see our circumstances with clarity and to  solve problems effectively. If we can’t see things for what they are,  then it is unlikely that we will be able to create the life we truly  want.

And secondly, the present is where the richness of life lies. Being  human means feeling; and feeling requires showing up for our  experiences. If we are willing to experience being human we will likely  have our share of sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and envy. But it is  through our willingness to be truly human –and experience the full  continuum of emotion – that we will also be available for the  possibility of joy in our life. If we show up for the present and allow  it to be what it is, we will be there when the potential for a positive  experience makes itself available to us.

If you are someone who has spent most of your time ruminating about  the past or worried about the future, then the present is not a place  you are used to being. So how do you get there? A meditation practice  can help but let’s face it, telling someone to start meditating so they  can live a mindful life is like telling someone to start exercising so  they can run a marathon.

Cultivating mindfulness in our life can start out slow and simple.  Notice the smell of coffee in the morning, how the sun feels when it  touches your skin, observe the beauty of nature. Pet your dog, brush  your hair, or hug someone. Stay with the experience, even if just for a  moment, letting go of worry and judgment. Through the repetition of this  practice in one’s life mindfulness begins to unfold. And through this  unfolding a life truly worth living becomes possible.

DBT Graduate Skills Group – Starting July 2017

Open Enrollment has begun for individuals who have completed the DBT  Skills Training.  The Graduate Group, led by Lona Stranieri, LCSW meets  the last Wednesday of every month between 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  Please  call 609-921-0020 to schedule or to learn more about this group.  

Negative Emotions – Can’t live with them, might not be alive without them!

The experience of intense negative emotions is probably the number  one reason one would seek out mental health services.  That, and the  subsequent problematic behaviors they tend to elicit – anything from not  getting out of bed for weeks on end, to substance abuse, and myriad  other self destructive tendencies.  No doubt negative emotions are  painful and can seriously disrupt our life.  And, if we happen to be an  individual whose emotional experience is intense and unpredictable we  can be particularly bowled over by the unpleasant ones.

So why in the world would DBT suggest that we should love our  emotions – all of them including the not so nice ones?  How could one  possibly love something that causes so much trouble?

There are numerous theories developed to explain emotional experience  in humans – how and why they occur and the order of thought, body  response, and behavior.  However, these theories are of little  consolation when we are suffering.  What can be comforting in  the midst of painful reactions is to understand that emotions are simply  the body’s way to protect and preserve us.  They are like an alarm  system that helps us get our basic human needs met, protect us from  danger, and might even save our life. When our emotional alarm system is  working optimally it motivates us to act, organizes our behavior, and  communicates to others and ourselves vital information about the  situation.  Sounds great, right?

However, we’ve all had that experience of a faulty alarm system, or  one that is activated unnecessarily.  Who hasn’t experienced the  annoyance of a screeching car alarm that got triggered accidentally  while the owner is nowhere in sight (or a very heavy sleeper).  I recall  many a college night spent standing outside my dormitory in the cold  waiting to be let back into my room because the fire alarm had gone off  for no apparent reason (or more likely been set off as a prank).  The  alarm was there to protect us but on those nights created inconvenience,  disruption, and discomfort for no good reason.

Learning to regulate emotions is like learning to live with an  imperfect alarm system.  Instead of reverting to a state of panic and  confusion at the sign of every negative emotion, we learn to step back,  observe, and check the facts of our situation. We learn to tweak the  alarm system so false alarms are less frequent and intense; and to shut  it off and get back to living more quickly even when it does go off  unnecessarily.  We learn to accept our system’s imperfections and work  with it, all the while knowing that it’s at least trying to be helpful.  And maybe at some point, we even learn to love it!

Spring Mindfulness

Contributed by the Princeton Center for DBT and Counseling Skills Training group:

These are suggestions for practicing Mindfulness and building positive experiences throughout the spring season:

  • Go for a walk
  • Listen to the birds sing
  • Garden
  • Observe the flowers
  • Buy fresh cut flowers and put them in your favorite space
  • Jump in puddles
  • Clean
  • Hug a tree
  • Identify mushrooms
  • Have a barbeque
  • Listen to music in the car with the windows rolled down
  • Get your toes done
  • Ride a bike
  • Go to the farmer’s market
  • Star gaze
  • Fall asleep while listening to the rain
  • Go to the park and have a picnic

Radical Acceptance of Winter’s Wrath

The groundhog did see his shadow today promising us a delayed  spring!  Do we deserve this, after what we’ve experienced up to this  point of the season?  After this winter prediction I got to thinking  that maybe the bears are onto something.  Why don’t we all just go to  bed after the holidays and wake up when it’s warm, weighing half as  much?  Then we wouldn’t need to make those New Year’s resolutions we  never keep anyway.  Or maybe the geese have it right.  Hibernation might  not be realistic but migration could work.  If it weren’t for these  jobs and other responsibilities we can’t leave behind all winter.  Ok,  so maybe we could just up and move to a warmer climate?  Relocate all  together.  Now that’s more realistic than hibernation or  migration.  This one we could actually make work…….who says you can’t  fight Mother Nature? Maybe we just haven’t tried hard enough!

Does this sound like what your mind has been doing lately?  Trying to  escape the reality of this brutal winter, or a delayed spring?  Or  maybe you’re too despondent to even give it that much thought – caught  in the grips of a seasonal depression.  This is a tough time of year for  most people and when the weather or seasonal trends adds insult to  injury it can feel like more than we can bear.  So what can we do to  tolerate the long winter months without hibernating or migrating?

Try doing the exact opposite of what you’re inclined to do.  Most of  us want to sleep more, eat more, be sedentary, and isolate to avoid the  cold.  Instead, balanced sleep (not too much or too little), increased  activity, and social interaction are far more likely to help our  seasonal blues.   Maybe you don’t ski or ice skate but most of us are  capable of bundling up and going for a brisk walk in the cold.  Fresh  air and sunshine (when you can find some) can do you wonders!  Also,  find the silver lining.  Maybe delayed school openings have made for  less rushed and hectic mornings?  Maybe you’ve had a few days off from  work due to treacherous road conditions?  You don’t have to weed the  garden?  (ok maybe that one’s a stretch).  But you get the point…every  season has its benefits.  So find the benefits of this one and  appreciate them before it’s too late.  Before you know it we’ll be  fanning ourselves and longing for cool weather again!

Acceptance is Change and Change is Acceptance

In DBT we teach the skill of Radical Acceptance.  It is perhaps one  of the most difficult skills to teach as acceptance is a subjective and  personal experience.  It won’t be exactly the same for any two people.   This makes it difficult to teach as we can’t provide others with a  trajectory for their individual process of acceptance.  We all have to  be on our own path, turning our minds and experiencing the shifts as  they occur.

One thing is consistent however and that is that the most powerful  change within us and our lives comes out of acceptance of what is.  We have to begin the process of change by, not resigning ourselves to, but rather embracing  the reality of ourselves and our lives. This can be a difficult and  painful endeavor but a necessary one if we are to transcend suffering.

Maybe we don’t look the way we wish we looked or we weren’t treated  the way we would have hoped to be treated.  Maybe we haven’t  accomplished what reflects our true potential or we’ve lost everything  we’ve worked for. Maybe we’ve lost someone we love.  Or maybe we are  just miserable and can’t attach it to any life circumstance but know  that we carry within us a deep and pervasive pain.

Acceptance of these realities is the first step in creating the life we want.  Acceptance is the greatest end we can achieve and the beginning of the journey.  Great things are possible if we can accept and acceptance is a great thing in and of itself.

The Blue Jay Tree

When we moved into our current home there was a pine tree in the  front that had become too tall for the height of the roof’s overhang.   The tip of the tree bent at the top and it looked awkward and overgrown  for the space.  I wanted my husband to pull it out and plant something  more size appropriate for the space since clipping the tips of some  pines can kill them.  My husband suggested we start by clipping it to  make the tree fit the space and see if it survives.  So he did and the  tree survived.

In early spring we found a Blue Jay nest in the pine tree.  As the  tree is only about 7 feet the nest was within our reach and sight.  We  knew it was Blue Jays by the appearance of the eggs and by the daily  Blue Jay sightings in and around the tree.  The nest was meticulously  crafted, something I would be proud to put in my home as a decorative  piece.  Inside the nest were four beautiful speckled, perfectly shaped,  pale blue jewels that mama Blue Jay watched over vigilantly.

My entire family got caught up in the excitement of this miracle of  nature happening before our eyes.  I was nervous that mama Blue Jay  would attack us as we peered into the tree and reveled at her mastery.   However, she never did but would simply watch us from afar.  My husband  was convinced that she knew the sound of our voices and that we were  friend not foe.  We never touched the nest or the eggs, just peered in  and took an occasional photo or movie with the I-phone to share with  friends and family.

Then one day we saw four tiny, bald, open-beaked heads trying to hold  themselves upright long enough to get food.  They had all hatched and  survived.  We watched them in awe over the next several days.  Then when  the weather got hot and swimming became more exciting than bird  watching we forgot about them for a while.  Then a week or so later I  saw my son over at the nest.  “The babies got big” he declared.  And  when I went over to look I could not believe my eyes.  There were four  plump feathered Blue Jays sitting side by side with no room to spare in  what was now a nest barely large enough to house all four of them.  They  sat quietly and seemed unafraid when we approached.  “Hi babies!” I  said.  My son said “I think they know our voices.”

As we stood and peered into the nest I felt so grateful that we had  left the pine for these beautiful creatures.  This tree has brought us  so much joy and appreciation for the world around us and our connection  to it. I guess you never know what potential something has if you don’t  give it a second chance.

A Resolution of Acceptance

So it’s that time of year again.  Have you ever seen so many  commercials for weight loss and exercise plans?  Time to quit smoking,  keep a cleaner house, save money perhaps?  None of these are  unreasonable goals, and most are with our best interest in mind.  The  problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they are focused on changing  things about ourselves without adequate consideration for who we are.

What might be possible if we were to make a New Year’s resolution  that focused on understanding who we are, accepting who we are, and  working with who we are instead of against it as we do in most  cases?  What if our New Year’s resolution was to recognize what we do  well and continue it, maybe build on it?

The truth is most people do not carry out their New Year’s  resolutions and why is this?  Are we really a society of weak  individuals lacking willpower and discipline?  Or are we simply a  society that looks outside ourselves for happiness?  We believe if we  change enough, if we become that thing or achieve that goal it will  fulfill us.

This year why not try some self compassion and understanding as a way  to start the new year?  Why not be resolved to understand who we are  first and make goals for change within the context of self acceptance  and love?  Maybe that would be one change really worth making.

New Beginnings

September always feels like a great time to make a fresh start.  That  back-to-school mentality gets ingrained in us and, even though we may  be long past school age, we tend to feel that this time of year brings  opportunity for the start of something new.   It’s a chance to get to a  project we’ve been putting off; take steps to achieve some important  goal; or continue with something we’ve put on hold.

This time of year can hold great hope for many of us.  We may be  optimistic that we can accomplish what we set out to do, right past  wrongs, or finally get back on track after languishing the summer away.   We may just be grateful for the change– cool weather, fall foliage and  all of the activities that come with the season.

Regardless of what we’re seeking, there seems to be something about a  fresh start or a new beginning that is tremendously important to our  psyche.  Humans are imperfect by nature; and along with our imperfection  comes the desire to strive to be better, or to get closer to the life  we want.

The question is, how can we do this in a way that is healthy and  balanced and promotes positive change in ourselves and our lives?  How  can we avoid that vicious cycle of perpetual startups with no completion  of anything meaningful?  How can we prevent eventually giving up on new  beginnings because our goals never seem to come to fruition?

One way would be to make goals achievable.  Instead of setting out to  become someone we will never be, we can notice our tendency to set our  expectations unrealistically high and reign ourselves in.  Break goals  down into sub-goals if necessary.  Accomplish smaller things that  contribute to a larger goal.  We also need to recognize when our vision  involves changing things that are out of our control and focus on what is  within our control.  All goals need to begin with a heavy dose of  commitment.  Tell someone about your goal, write it down and post it  somewhere, or sign your own contract.  Whatever you do, make a  conscious, deliberate choice to work on it.  Let’s not forget the  importance of accountability!  Plan how you will be held accountable.   Will it be by another person?  How will you track your progress and  decide if you are on course?  And finally – reinforcement of your  accomplishments is critical.  You must find ways to reward yourself or  to be mindful of the intrinsic rewards that come with your  achievements.  Otherwise you are unlikely to want to continue, or to set  new goals in the future.  It’s human nature – there must be a payoff!

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, is to embrace our imperfection  as we strive to achieve new goals.  We are fallible and, regardless of  how committed we are, we will not be perfect.  The ability to accept  this fact and not throw in the towel will surely get us closer to our  life worth living!

Moments of Gratitude

Have you ever been really down and someone told you to “count your  blessings” or “look at the bright side”?  Was that helpful?  Many of us  can relate to feeling really bad about something only to be invalidated  by the “encouragement” of well intentioned loved ones who just want us  to see how lucky we really are.

Most of us have a hard time counting our blessings from time to time no matter how good we actually have it. At  times we take for granted what we have and overlook the positive.  We  forget to look at the bright side or simply can’t see it no matter how  hard we try.  It’s kind of human nature to do this.  If it weren’t, we  wouldn’t need to dedicate an entire holiday to giving thanks, would we?

Feeling as though we should count our blessings can feel invalidating, as though we shouldn’t  feel disappointment or sadness or frustration.  And yet most of us  know, or have at least heard, that practicing gratitude can greatly  improve our outlook on life and our overall mood – that being grateful  is good for our mental health.  So how do we practice gratitude?

If we take time to be present and aware, we will likely notice things  in our life that are positive, which can often lead to moments when we  connect to, and perhaps are overwhelmed by, a feeling of gratitude for  what we have.  It can be fleeting, but nonetheless powerful, and an  important reminder of what we often forget – that life is so worth living even with pain.

So it’s really important not to force ourselves into a mindset of  gratitude, never acknowledging our disappointment or dismay.  Rather, we  allow gratitude to show itself to us by practicing awareness and acceptance of what is.

Moments of gratitude are like precious jewels, rare and beautiful,  something to be treasured.  So don’t force yourself to half heartedly  count your blessings if you don’t feel grateful.  Forcing gratitude on  yourself is like trying to convince yourself you can fly.  Rather, be  still and notice what’s around you, observe your world without judgment  and be open to the possibility that just maybe gratitude will show up  and stay, even if for a moment.

Princeton Center for DBT and Counseling Blog Posts

Find Below latest Posts and Group Updates

Lona Stranieri, LCSW   

 Lona is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™

609-921-0020 or 609-468-1712   

Email: Lona@PrincetonDBT.com   

322 Commons Way, Princeton NJ 08540    

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