Improve Your Relationship with Your Child Using DBT Skills

Your home is filled with high-intensity emotions. Misunderstandings spiral quickly, and words said in frustration create distance between you and your child. If this describes your reality, whether your child is an adolescent, a teen, or an adult, you're not alone. That's why we hosted a FREE webinar: Improving Your Relationship with Your Child Using DBT Skills. Watch the recording below.

Hosted by TheraHive Co-Founders Dr. Alicia Smart, PsyD and Dr. Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD (both DBT-Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinicians), this recorded workshop dives into the core mechanics of emotional dysregulation and provides a practical roadmap for reconnection, one skill at a time.

Watch the Webinar Recording

Missed the live session or want to revisit the conversation? Watch the full webinar recording below!

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What You'll Walk Away With

By the end of this webinar, you'll understand:

• The Biosocial Model: Why your child reacts the way they do—and why their nervous system isn't broken, it's just sensitive
• The Transactional Model: How you and your child are caught in patterns that reinforce each other, and how to break the cycle (featuring Dr. Alan Fruzzetti's research)
• The Power of Validation: The #1 tool for lowering the emotional temperature in your home and building trust, even in the hardest moments

What to Expect

This 60-minute session includes a 45 min. presentation by Dr. Smart and Dr. Finkelstein, who will walk you through the neurobiology behind emotional dysregulation, the Biosocial Theory that explains how biology and environment interact, and practical strategies from the Transactional Model to interrupt escalating conflict. You'll also learn how validation shifts the entire dynamic of parent-child communication. Following the presentation, there will also be a 10-15 min. Q&A with Alicia and Jesse answering questions from live attendees.

Who This Webinar Is For

This session is perfect for you if:

• You love your child deeply but struggle to connect during conflict
• You feel like you and your child are in a "push-pull" dynamic
• You're tired of the same patterns repeating over and over
• You've heard about DBT but aren't sure how it applies to parenting
• You want practical tools you can use starting this week

You don't need prior DBT experience. The only requirement is a willingness to understand what's really happening beneath the surface and try something different.

Why DBT for Parents?

Traditional parenting advice often focuses on behavior management or discipline. DBT offers something different. It helps you understand why behavior happens in the first place. When you understand the Biosocial Model, you shift from frustration (Why won't they just listen?) to compassion (Their nervous system is in survival mode. What do they need from me?).

This isn't about being permissive or excusing harmful behavior. It's about creating a relationship where your child feels safe, understood, and more capable of making choices aligned with their values.

Ready to Go Deeper? Join Full DBT Programs

Setting intentions with DBT skills is a powerful beginning and the perfect entry point into deeper DBT learning. TheraHive offers comprehensive DBT programs for parents and adolescents featuring live group sessions, self-paced learning, and optional private coaching.

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Related Resources

• Transactional Model Worksheet
• Transactional Model Video Series
• Parental Stress Scale (PSS) Self-Assessment
• Biosocial Model Worksheet

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