Feeling Overwhelmed? How DBT Teaches Skills to Calm the Storm
Emotional Overwhelm Is More Common Than You Think
Feeling overwhelmed is a normal part of being human — but for many teens and adults, emotions can feel too big to manage. One minute you’re okay, and the next, you’re swept up in frustration, anxiety, or sadness that feels impossible to control.
At Holding House Counseling in Litchfield, Connecticut, we help clients understand that emotional overwhelm isn’t a character flaw — it’s a nervous system response. Your brain and body are doing their best to protect you. But when stress becomes chronic, your system can get stuck in overdrive, leading to reactivity, exhaustion, and disconnection.
That’s where Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) comes in. Our Virtual DBT Teen Group, starting October 20, is designed to help teens across Connecticut learn the practical skills they need to manage emotions, reduce stress, and build long-term resilience.
🌱 What Is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based approach that helps people who experience intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, or difficulty in relationships. Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, DBT combines mindfulness, behavioral change, and emotional regulation to help individuals respond to life with more balance and awareness.
DBT has been proven effective for:
Emotional overwhelm and mood swings
Anxiety, depression, and stress
Impulsivity or self-destructive coping
Conflict in relationships or difficulty communicating
Trauma-related emotional patterns
Our DBT Teen Group brings these tools to young people in a supportive, trauma-informed, and skills-based setting — accessible anywhere in Connecticut through our virtual platform.
🌿 Why Emotional Overwhelm Happens
When you feel emotionally flooded, your nervous system shifts into fight, flight, or freeze — automatic survival responses that prepare you for danger. While these reactions are protective, they can make daily life challenging when triggered by non-threatening situations, like social stress, family conflict, or school pressure.
You might notice:
Racing thoughts or panic when stressed
Emotional outbursts or irritability
Shutting down or avoiding tasks
Feeling guilty or ashamed afterward
DBT teaches you how to recognize these nervous system responses, understand your emotional triggers, and build tools for returning to calm and connection.
🌸 The Four Core DBT Modules
At Holding House Counseling, our Virtual DBT Group for Teens follows the four foundational DBT modules — each designed to build awareness, self-regulation, and resilience.
1. Mindfulness: Staying Present and Grounded
Mindfulness helps teens notice their thoughts and feelings without judgment. By focusing on the present moment, they learn to respond with intention rather than react impulsively.
Example: Taking a mindful breath before responding to an upsetting text or social media post.
2. Distress Tolerance: Getting Through Tough Moments
Distress tolerance skills teach how to survive emotional crises without making things worse. Teens learn to self-soothe, ground themselves, and cope with distress in healthy ways.
Example: Using a grounding technique, a cold compress, or sensory reset when anxiety feels too strong.
3. Emotion Regulation: Understanding and Balancing Emotions
Emotion regulation builds emotional literacy — the ability to name, understand, and manage feelings. Teens learn to identify patterns, reduce vulnerability, and build positive habits that support mood stability.
Example: Recognizing that irritability often comes from being overtired, then setting a consistent sleep routine.
4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Strengthening Relationships
Healthy communication is key to emotional well-being. This module teaches assertiveness, boundary-setting, and empathy — helping teens maintain relationships that feel safe and respectful.
Example: Learning to say “no” confidently without guilt or fear of rejection.
🌻 How DBT Helps Heal Emotional Overwhelm
DBT gives teens practical tools to manage their emotions in real time — empowering them to make thoughtful choices even when they feel flooded. Over time, participants in our Virtual DBT Group Connecticut report feeling:
Calmer and more grounded
Less reactive to stress
More confident in handling emotions
Better connected to family and friends
Hopeful about their future
At Holding House Counseling, we integrate trauma-informed and holistic approaches into every session, supporting nervous system regulation and emotional safety alongside DBT’s structured skillset.
🌼 Join Our Virtual DBT Teen Group — Connecticut
Our Virtual DBT Teen Group begins October 20 and is open to participants across Connecticut, including Litchfield, Simsbury, Torrington, and surrounding areas.
This online group offers:
✅ A safe and supportive environment for emotional growth
✅ Weekly sessions focused on DBT skills
✅ Guidance from trauma-informed therapists
✅ Connection with peers who “get it”
If your teen struggles with emotional overwhelm, impulsivity, or difficulty managing stress, this group can help them feel more balanced, confident, and resilient.
👉 Learn more or register today by contacting Lauren Gouveia, LCSW at lauren@holdinghousecounseling.com
🌿 At Holding House Counseling
Our mission is to help individuals heal from trauma, regulate their nervous systems, and build resilience for the future. Whether through individual therapy, couples therapy, Reiki, meditation coaching, or group workshops, our approach blends evidence-based care with mindfulness and holistic healing.
We serve clients across Connecticut with both in-person and virtual sessions.
📍 Serving: Litchfield, Simsbury, Torrington, Bantam, and surrounding Connecticut communities
💻 Virtual options available statewide