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Group Therapy

At BCSC, we offer structured, skills-based groups for children, teens, young adults, and caregivers. Our groups teach practical, evidence-based strategies for managing emotions, improving relationships, and building everyday coping skills. 

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy at Boston Child Study Center

Our group therapy programs support and complement our outpatient therapy services by teaching and practicing the necessary tools to identify, understand, and manage emotions in the most effective ways.

About Groups at BCSC:

Our groups provide a structured mix of skills and support, led by our expert clinicians. We offer a range of groups grounded in evidence-based treatments, including:

      • Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) skills
      • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills
      • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) skills
      • Get Heard! – Group-Based Exposure Therapy

      • Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) 

While many groups are designed for clients who have an individual therapist at BCSC, some are open to individuals engaged in treatment elsewhere. Most groups are currently held virtually on our HIPAA-compliant Zoom platform. 

Browse the group offerings below to find the program that best fits your family’s needs!

How to Join:
  • Current BCSC families:

Speak with a clinician on your child’s treatment team about your interest in joining a group. They can help determine which group is the best fit and guide you through the enrollment process. 

  • Not currently at BCSC?

If your child/family is not currently receiving treatment at BCSC, please fill out our contact form to inquire about joining a group and learn about next steps.

Group Offerings by Age & Focus

Early & Middle Childhood (3-14)

Get Heard! Group Events

Get Heard! is a group treatment program series created for children and adolescents with selective mutism and social anxiety. Get Heard! uses an evidence-based exposure therapy model, which has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Group participants practice speaking to new people and in new places while engaging in fun, seasonal activities. Participants are matched with a bravery coach who supports each individual’s brave talking and brave behavior goals. Get Heard! is not an intensive group treatment for selective mutism, but rather each 3-hour event can serve as an opportunity to achieve a difficult brave talking goal in a supportive setting or as a bravery practice refresher for individuals who are further along in or have graduated from treatment.

Who: Youth ages 3-14 who have prior experience with the exposure therapy model

Time: Offered quarterly, typically on Saturdays from 10am-1pm (alternating locations at our Boston & Natick offices)
Next Event:  Saturday, May 2, 2026 at our Boston office
Leader: Kaitlyn Wilbur-Smith, PsyD
 
For more information, view the flyer here. 

Middle School (10-14)

DBT Skills Training Group: Middle School
This group teaches middle school students (ages 10-14) the skills to identify, understand, and more effectively manage their emotions through learning and practicing Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills. Through structured activities and guided discussion, participants learn strategies for coping with strong feelings, making thoughtful choices, and communicating effectively with peers and family. This group meets for 60 minutes each week for 20 sessions, with many participants completing the cycle twice for a total of 40 group sessions.
 

Who: Children ages 10-14 with a primary therapist
Time: Thursdays 5:15-6:15pm (via Zoom)
Status: Currently open; next start date: March 26, 2026
Leader: Emily Steinberg, PhD & Mariela Jiménez, BS

Teens (14-18)

Signal DBT: Multi-Family Skills Group
This group teaches adolescents (ages 14-18) and their caregivers the skills to identify, understand, and more effectively manage their emotions through learning and practicing Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Walking the Middle Path, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills. Group leaders use a combination of lecture, discussion, and practice to teach the material. This group meets for 90 minutes each week for 24 sessions, with many participants completing the cycle twice for a total of 48 group sessions.
 

Who: Teens (ages 14-18) & Caregivers enrolled in our Signal DBT program
Time: Mondays 5:00-6:30pm (at our Boston office)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader: Lyndsey Moran, PhD, Dana Borkum, PsyD, & Michael O’Brien, PhD

Teen & Young Adult Emotion Skills Group
This weekly group is for teens and young adults (ages 14–29) who want to better identify, understand, and respond to their emotions. We view emotions as helpful signals that point to our needs and we focus on teaching participants how to recognize these signals and respond to them effectively. The group teaches practical skills drawn from DBT, ACT, CBT, and behavioral strategies, as well as the latest science on emotions to support participants’ ability and confidence in meeting their needs in the context of their environment and values. The group in person at our Natick office with hybrid or virtual options available on a case-by-case basis. Participants are asked to commit to at least 16 sessions.
 

Who: Teens & Young Adults (ages 14-29)
Time: Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm (at our Natick office OR virtually)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader: Michael O’Brien, PhD

Young Adults (18-29)

DBT Skills Training Group: Young Adults
This group teaches young adults (ages 18-29) skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to identify, understand, and effectively manage their emotions through learning and practicing Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness skills. Group leaders use a combination of lecture, discussion, and practice to teach the material. This group meets for 75 minutes each week for 24 sessions, with many participants completing the cycle twice for a total of 48 group sessions.
 

Who: Young Adults 18-29 with a primary therapist
Time: Tuesdays 4:45-6:00pm (via Zoom)
Status: Currently open; next start date – 2/17/26
Leader: Alaina Baker, PsyD & Monica Arkin, PhD

DBT Skills Integration Group: Young Adults

This group is for young adults (ages 18-29) who have completed DBT Skills Training or a comparable program. The focus of this group is on applying Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness skills to different environments and relationships. The group structure invites participants to bring in agenda items from their lives, and the group has the opportunity to practice their validation and problem-solving skills with each other. This group requires a minimum commitment of 12 sessions with the opportunity to continue if recommended.

Who: Young Adults 18-29 who have completed a DBT Skills Training Group
Time: Wednesdays 6:00-7:15pm (via Zoom)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader: Aberdine Dwight, PhD & Phoebe Hall, PhD

Teen & Young Adult Emotion Skills Group
This weekly group is for teens and young adults (ages 14–29) who want to better identify, understand, and respond to their emotions. We view emotions as helpful signals that point to our needs and we focus on teaching participants how to recognize these signals and respond to them effectively. The group teaches practical skills drawn from DBT, ACT, CBT, and behavioral strategies, as well as the latest science on emotions to support participants’ ability and confidence in meeting their needs in the context of their environment and values. The group in person at our Natick office with hybrid or virtual options available on a case-by-case basis. Participants are asked to commit to at least 16 sessions.
 

Who: Teens & Young Adults (ages 14-29)
Time: Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm (at our Natick office OR virtually)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader: Michael O’Brien, PhD

Parents & Caregivers

DBT/CBT Skills Training Group for Caregivers
This group is designed to support caregivers, parents, and guardians of youth and young adults struggling with mental health conditions and/or emotional or behavioral difficulties. The curriculum draws from DBT, CBT, behaviorism, and the latest research on emotion regulation. Topics include understanding and de-stigmatizing emotions, assessing the functions of emotions and behaviors, shaping appropriate behavior, effective limit-setting, problem-solving, validation and direct communication, and using/modeling skills.
 

Who: Parents & Caregivers
Time: Mondays 5:30-6:45pm (via Zoom)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader: Chris Rutt, PhD & Nick Morelli, PhD

ACT Skills Group for Caregivers
This group focuses on supporting caregivers of youths and young adults who are struggling with identifying, understanding, and managing their difficult thoughts and emotions. The curriculum draws from evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), behavior therapy, and the latest research on emotions and behaviors. Caregivers will learn how to identify their own patterns of thinking and behaving that maintain (and sometimes exacerbate) their child’s emotional difficulties. Caregivers will learn new skills that support lasting behavior change and promote well-being, presence, and connection at home.
 

Who: Parents & Caregivers
Time: Wednesdays 12:00-1:15pm (via Zoom)
Status: Next start date – April 1, 2026
Leader: Meg Poterba, LICSW & Jenna Macri, MA

For more information, view the flyer here.

Caregiver Gender Education Group

This group is for parents and/or caregivers of children and young adults who are transgender, gender-nonconforming, nonbinary, agender, gender-expansive, or anything other than cis. This is a dedicated space for parents/caregivers to come together, share their experiences, and ask questions related to their child’s gender expression, transition, and/or needs. In this group, parents/caregivers can learn how to best support their child through their gender transition using multiple lenses of intersectionality. 

Who: Parents & Caregivers
Time: Wednesdays 12:00-1:00pm (via Zoom)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader:  Alaina Baker, PsyD

Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) Group

This group is for caregivers of children ages 12 years and under who struggle with anxiety and/or OCD-related disorders. It is an evidence-based program that empowers caregivers to better respond to their child’s anxiety by making changes to their own behavior while also empowering the child to develop coping skills of their own. In a combination of lecture and discussion, caregivers will learn practical strategies in each weekly group session. The group meets for ten weeks with one-on-one support offered through coaching sessions to individualize treatment for the family.

Who: Parents & Caregivers of children ages 12 & under
Time: Wednesdays 10:30-11:30am (via Zoom)
Status: Next start date – May 6, 2026
Leader: Vanessa Ng, PhD & Marisa Serchuk, PhD

For more information, view the flyer here.

DBT/CBT Skills Integration Group for Caregivers
This group is designed for caregivers, parents, and guardians who have previously completed the DBT/CBT Skills Training Group and are seeking ongoing support and practice. The group is more participant-led and focuses on applying DBT, CBT, and behaviorally informed skills to real-life situations as they arise. Sessions emphasize collaborative problem-solving, skills integration, and peer consultation around current challenges, with clinician guidance to support effective limit-setting, validation, communication, and consistent modeling of skills across settings.
 

Who: Caregivers who have completed our DBT/CBT Skills Training Group (or equivalent)
Time: Mondays 5:00-6:15pm (via Zoom)
Status: Currently open; rolling admission
Leader: Jill Bloom, PhD & Hannah Sokoloff-Rubin, MS

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is group therapy?

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy where a small group of individuals meet regularly with a therapist to learn specific information and skills and to process our experiences with emotions. BCSC has a wide variety of groups led by our team of experts who facilitate learning and practice within small group settings.

Every group is led and moderated by a therapist. But activities will vary slightly from group to group. Skill building groups are run in a class-like format, and use a combination of lecture, discussion, and practice. Other groups will rely more heavily on discussion and processing.

Yes, confidentiality is an essential part of group therapy. It’s critical to build trust among group members. Members are expected to respect each other’s privacy and not share information discussed outside the group.

It’s normal to feel apprehensive initially. The therapists leading groups create safe spaces, so you can gradually increase participation as you feel more comfortable. It’s up to you to choose how much you wish to share initially. As you get more experienced with the group, you’ll most likely find sharing comes easier.

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