The Virtual DBT Group
Online Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Group
DBT stands for Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. DBT is a structured treatment approach that uses 4 main components which are distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT is rooted in finding the balance between acceptance and change. We can accept and validate our feelings with the goal of changing how we react, process, and behave.
Distress tolerance will help you cope better with painful events by building up your resiliency and giving you new ways to soften the effects of upsetting circumstances.
Mindfulness will help you experience more fully the present moment while focusing less on painful experiences from the past or frightening possibilities in the future. Mindfulness will also give you tools to overcome habitual, negative judgments about yourself and others.
Emotion regulation skills help you to recognize more clearly what you feel and then to observe each emotion without getting overwhelmed by it. The goal is to modulate your feelings without behaving in reactive, destructive ways.
Interpersonal effectiveness gives you new tools to express your beliefs and needs, set limits, and negotiate solutions to problems—all while protecting your relationships and treating others with respect.
Each week, the group will speak about one of the four components and learn skills on how to use these techniques in their day to day life. Light homework will also be assigned to practice learned skills between sessions.
[This group is full. Our next round will begin in the Fall, 2025]
When is the group?
Tuesdays from 7pm-8pm
When is the group beginning?
Next series begins in September 2025. Reserve your spot today!
Where are the groups being held?
Online, using Google Workplace Meet
Participants will get a link to join
Who is it open to?
Adults ages 21+
Cost
Copay/Coinsurance as determined by a client’s insurance, or $45 per week without using insurance
Group Leader
Olivia Schutz, LAC
Schedule (clients can join anytime until the third week)
Weeks 1-3: Orientation and Mindfulness
Weeks 4-6: Distress Tolerance
Weeks 7-9: Emotion Regulation
Weeks 10-12: Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
Whether you’re feeling anxious, burned out, lonely, tired of pretending you’re okay, or just over it all, this group is a place to feel heard, supported, and understood (and maybe even have some fun along the way). We are excited to have you here, exactly as you are.
Olivia Schutz, LAC
Group Leader
Olivia Schutz is a Licensed Associate Counselor and National Certified Counselor who earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Fairleigh Dickinson University and her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology from The College of New Jersey. Olivia works with adults, adolescents, and children experiencing anxiety and depressive disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, life transitions, substance abuse, grief and parenting struggles. Olivia has previous experience working with clients both in outpatient, as well as a partial hospitalization settings, conducting both group and individual therapy. She utilizes a Cognitive-Behavioral, Dialectical-Behavioral and Person-Centered approach to process and teach individualized coping skills to clients so they feel heard and validated, and can successfully reach their therapeutic goals.
Email: oschutz@insightpsychgroup.com
Cynthia Velasquez, LAMFT
Group Leader
Cynthia Velasquez is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who received her Masters in Psychology from Kean University. Cynthia works with individuals and families who struggle with a variety of issues related to depression, anxiety, high risk behavior, addiction, trauma, and grief. Prior to joining IPG, she worked as a clinician and group coordinator at High Focus Centers’ Partial Hospital and Intensive Outpatient Programs, helping adolescents and adults learn coping skills, grounding techniques, and effective communications skills to manage their symptoms before they could move to a lower risk treatment environment. Cynthia is a compassionate and engaging therapist who strives to provide the highest quality treatment which empowers individuals to achieve their utmost potential.