Purpose:

1. To provide a forum for learning and practicing effective life skills.
2. To teach mindfulness skills as well as the application of these skills to relationships, regulating emotions and tolerating distress in our lives.
3. This group is targeted for clients who have problems in the areas of emotion dysregulation which contributes to extreme thinking and behaviors.

Objective:

1. To provide a forum for life skill development.
2. Client objectives will vary according to their treatment needs, but will focus on the attainment of life skills.
3. The core skill taught and practiced in this group is that of Mindfulness. This core skill of Mindfulness is then applied to the areas of Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance.
4. The objective is to support client's efforts at becoming more effective in these life skills as well as reducing quality of life interfering behaviors such as self harm, substance use or any impulsive and reactive behaviors.

Method:

1. This group utilizes the method of treatment developed by Marsha Linehan known as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. It is a cognitive-behavioral treatment program with a biosocial emphasis and understanding of emotion dysregulation.
2. This is a weekly, two hour group that is divided into four skills training modules. Each module takes approximately eight weeks.
3. The group has two group leaders.
4. The group is divided into two parts. The first half of the group reviews how the clients utilized and practiced the skills during the week. The second half of the group is spent reviewing new skills to be learned and practiced.
5. The group ends with a 5-10 minute wind down exercise.
6. As this is a skills development group, there is regular assignment of daily homework.
7. As this life skills material builds on itself, regular attendance is very important.

Evaluation:

1. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this group will be accomplished through the use of client surveys and self report.
2. There will also be an effort made to meet individually with clients at times during the group to review progress and obtain feedback about group effectiveness.