Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills Group in Brighton and Online

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a structured therapy that helps people manage intense emotions, cope with distress and improve relationships. It balances acceptance of yourself as you are with learning skills for change. A full DBT programme typically runs for a year and combines weekly individual therapy, a skills group and between-session coaching. “DBT-informed” means our group teaches the DBT skills and the thinking behind them, adapted for various people who struggle managing intense emotions. It is not a therapy treatment as such – it is rather a psycho-educative supportive group in which you learn DBT and other trauma-informed skills. The group has been adapted to neurodivergent and trauma-affected people. Flint Healthcare typically runs 2-3 groups a year to give as much access to as many people as possible.

They can help with the emotional side of neurodivergent life: intense feelings, overwhelm, rejection sensitivity, impulsivity and the strain these put on relationships. Research on DBT skills groups for adults with ADHD is encouraging, and research with autistic adults is growing. The group does not treat ADHD or autism themselves, and it is not about masking or becoming less yourself. We adapt the material and the pace so the skills work with your nervous system, not against it.

Emotional dysregulation is what DBT skills were developed for, and it is the main focus of the group. For people affected by trauma, the group can build stability, understanding of trauma responses and ways of coping with distress. It is not trauma-processing therapy, and you will not be asked to share details of what happened to you. Some people use the group as a foundation before, or alongside, individual trauma therapy.

The initial assessment is £100. Each group session is £70. The pre-treatment session is £100 and the feedback session is free. Individual sessions alongside the group are optional and charged separately.

The groups are run in person, online and blended (a mix of both).

Each session lasts 1.5 hours and follows a predictable structure, so you know what to expect. We usually begin with a brief check-in and a look back at how practising the previous week’s skill went. We then teach a new topic or skill, with time for questions, discussion and trying it out. You will leave with handouts and something specific to practise during the week. You are never required to share more than you want to; this is a learning group, not a group where people are expected to disclose personal history.

No. You do not need a diagnosis of ADHD, autism or any mental health condition. The group is based on what you are finding difficult and what you want to change. Many people who join have a diagnosis, are waiting for an assessment, or simply recognise themselves in the description.

The group may suit you if you experience emotions intensely, find it hard to come back down once overwhelmed, or notice the same difficulties repeating in relationships, and you would like practical tools as well as understanding. It works best if you can attend weekly and are willing to practise between sessions. If you are in acute crisis, or need more intensive support at the moment, something else may be a better first step. The assessment session is where we work this out together, with no obligation to join.

Contact Flint Healthcare to book an initial 50-minute assessment with Claire Owens, or ask for a brief introductory call first. If the group is a good fit, you will be offered a place on the next group and a pre-treatment session before it starts.

Many people who join have had that experience. Often the approach was not adapted to how they process information, the pace was wrong, or the setting felt overwhelming. The group is closed, small, structured and paced with neurodivergent and trauma-affected people in mind. We cannot promise a particular result, but the assessment is a chance to talk about what did not work before and whether this would be different enough to be worth trying.