Practical DBT skills parents can use to navigate their children's emotional struggles

A 2023 Pew Research survey found that 62% of parents say parenting is harder than they expected, with children's mental health ranking as their top concern. The Wise Mind Parent: DBT Skills for a Calmer, More Connected Family, written by Harvard Medical School faculty and McLean Hospital DBT clinicians, translates Dialectical Behavior Therapy into accessible, actionable strategies for caregivers raising kids, teens, and young adults.

The Wise Mind Parent presents DBT concepts with honest examples and a direct, irreverent tone. It offers non-judgmental explanations of difficult family patterns alongside concrete solutions designed to foster closeness, communication, and collaboration. Parents learn specific skills for responding to depression, anxiety, school avoidance, bullying, and social media challenges—equipping them to support emotionally dysregulated children without losing themselves in the process.

Readers will also find:

• Structured DBT skills adapted specifically for parents, requiring no prior clinical knowledge or therapy experience
• Guidance on recognizing and interrupting common family interaction patterns that frequently escalate emotional crises at home
• Practical strategies for building communication and collaboration with children who are navigating complex mental health challenges
• Tools for managing parental burnout, frustration, and fear while remaining emotionally present and connected with struggling youth
• A foreword by DBT expert Blaise Aguirre, MD, grounding the book in current evidence-based clinical research

Written for parents of children, teens, and young adults who struggle with emotional dysregulation or mental health challenges, this book is also a resource for mental health professionals, school counselors, and educators who support families. It provides research-grounded DBT skills in language that caregivers can immediately understand and apply.