The transition into adulthood can feel like navigating a storm without a compass. Whether you’re managing intense emotions, struggling with relationships, or feeling stuck in old patterns, this group gives you a structured roadmap for building a life worth living — with real skills you can actually use.

Unlike a traditional therapy group where you just talk about what’s hard, this is a skills-based training class. Over 24 weeks — the standard clinical timeframe required to complete the full Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) curriculum — you’ll build a concrete toolkit for handling life’s challenges with confidence. Young adults in Campbell and across the South Bay come to this group to stop white-knuckling through hard moments and start responding to them with intention.

What You’ll Learn

The group covers four core DBT skill areas, each one practical and directly applicable to your daily life:

• Mindfulness — Learn to stay present and take control of your mind, rather than letting your mind control you.
• Distress Tolerance — Build “crisis survival” skills for getting through painful moments without making things worse. Because sometimes the goal is just to make it through the next hour.
• Emotion Regulation — Understand why your emotions show up the way they do, and learn how to reduce the intensity of emotional rollercoasters before they derail your day.
• Interpersonal Effectiveness — Master the art of asking for what you need and saying no — while keeping your self-respect and your relationships intact.

How Each Session Works

Each 90-minute session follows a consistent four-part structure, so you always know what to expect:

Mindfulness Practice — Every session opens with an experiential mindfulness exercise. This isn’t just a warm-up — mindfulness is the foundation everything else in DBT is built on.

Diary Card Review — Between sessions, you’ll track your emotions, behaviors, and skill use on a daily diary card. Group opens with a brief review of these cards so your therapist can see what’s actually happening in your week.

Homework & Check-In — Next, the group discusses homework from the previous session — what you tried, what worked, and what got in the way. Real practice, not just theory.

Skill Introduction — Your therapist introduces a new skill with a focus on practical application and in-session practice, so you leave each week with something you can actually use.

The Commitment

DBT is a comprehensive system, and it works best when you move through the full curriculum together. That’s why participants commit to one complete 24-week cycle. New members can join at any point in the rotation, but you’ll be asked to complete a full cycle from wherever you start.

The 24-week structure is intentional — it’s the clinical standard for mastering DBT. Each module builds on the last, and the group dynamic that develops over time is part of what makes the skills actually stick.

Between Sessions

Support doesn’t stop when group ends. Between sessions, your therapist is available for brief skills coaching calls to help you apply what you’re learning to real situations as they come up. This isn’t crisis therapy — it’s practical, in-the-moment support for putting your new tools to work.

Confidentiality & Safety

What gets shared in group stays in group. Every member agrees to confidentiality, and that agreement is what makes it possible to be honest with each other.

This group is designed for young adults doing outpatient-level work — meaning you’re managing daily life and looking to build skills, not in acute crisis. Our facilitator, Melissa Daoud, is a licensed therapist trained in DBT. If something comes up during the group that needs additional support — for you or a fellow member — Melissa is equipped to respond thoughtfully and connect you to the right resources.