Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Brief Counseling Skill for Clinical Practice

G.C., an adolescent, presents to my office for follow-up after an emergency department visit following a suicide attempt. She is withdrawn, avoids eye contact, and barely speaks. She denies active suicidal ideation but states that self-cutting has provided some temporary relief from ongoing stressors. G.C. is unable to identify any other coping skills. In addition to starting a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, I recommend that G.C. begin dialectical behavior therapy, although it could take weeks for her to establish care with a therapist in the area.