DBT Skills Group in Fresno, California
Master Emotional Regulation and Build Stronger Relationships Through Proven DBT Techniques
Feeling overwhelmed by intense emotions or struggling to maintain healthy relationships isn't a personal failing; it's a signal that you could benefit from proven skills that many people never learned growing up.
In Fresno's fast-paced environment, where work stress, family pressures, and life transitions can feel overwhelming, many adults find themselves reacting in ways that damage their most important relationships.
Our DBT Skills Group provides a structured, supportive environment where you'll learn the same evidence-based techniques used by therapists worldwide to help people regulate emotions, communicate effectively, and build lasting relationships. Unlike individual therapy, our group setting allows you to practice these skills with others who understand your challenges, creating a community of support right here in Fresno.
Through our attachment-based, trauma-informed approach, you'll develop practical tools for managing distressing emotions, improving communication with loved ones, and creating the stable, fulfilling relationships you deserve. These aren't abstract concepts; they're concrete skills you can start using immediately in your daily life.
✔ Laura Slagle, CEO and founder, brings extensive experience in attachment-based and trauma-informed therapy
✔ Established practice serving Fresno families since 2014 with specialized adoption and foster care expertise
✔ Multiple locations throughout Fresno and Clovis for convenient access to specialized care
✔ Collaborative approach with local adoption agencies and foster care organizations
Established practice serving Fresno families since 2014 with specialized adoption and foster care expertise
Our Services
Our DBT Skills Group brings together adults from across Fresno who are ready to transform how they handle emotions and relationships.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills training focuses on four core modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Each session combines psychoeducation with hands-on practice, ensuring you not only understand these concepts but can apply them confidently.
The group meets weekly for structured sessions where you'll learn specific techniques like the STOP skill for crisis moments, interpersonal effectiveness strategies for difficult conversations, and mindfulness practices that help you stay grounded during emotional storms. Our experienced facilitators create a safe, non-judgmental environment where group members support each other's growth while maintaining appropriate boundaries and confidentiality.
What makes our approach unique is the integration of attachment-based principles with traditional DBT skills. This means we don't just teach you what to do, we help you understand how your early relationships shaped your current patterns, making it easier to implement lasting change. The group format allows you to see how others apply these skills, providing real-world examples and reducing the isolation that often accompanies emotional struggles.
Between sessions, you'll complete practice assignments that help you integrate these skills into your daily routine. Whether you're navigating workplace conflicts, family dynamics, or romantic relationships, you'll develop a toolkit of strategies that become second nature with consistent practice.
Learn Life-Changing DBT Skills, Join Interest List
How You Benefit
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Skills In Fresno's demanding environment, from Central Valley heat that tests everyone's patience to economic pressures that strain families, learning to regulate your emotions isn't just helpful, it's essential. Our DBT skills training teaches you practical techniques to manage intense emotions before they derail your day or damage your relationships.
You'll learn the TIPP skill for immediate crisis relief, opposite action to break destructive emotional cycles, and building mastery activities that create lasting emotional stability. Group members consistently report feeling more confident in their ability to handle whatever life throws at them, whether it's a difficult boss, family conflict, or unexpected life changes. These aren't temporary coping mechanisms, they're permanent skills that become stronger with practice.
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Many Fresno residents struggle with communication patterns learned in families where directness was discouraged or conflict was avoided entirely. Our group teaches you how to ask for what you need, set healthy boundaries, and maintain relationships even during disagreements.
You'll practice the DEAR MAN technique for clear communication, learn when to prioritize relationships versus objectives, and develop skills for handling criticism without becoming defensive. The group setting provides a safe space to practice these skills before using them in high-stakes conversations with spouses, teenagers, or challenging family members.
Participants often share how these skills transformed their marriages, improved their parenting, and helped them navigate workplace relationships with greater confidence and less stress.
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When life becomes overwhelming, many people turn to behaviors that provide temporary relief but create long-term problems, overeating, overspending, substance use, or lashing out at loved ones. Our DBT group teaches you healthier ways to survive crisis moments without making them worse.
You'll learn distraction techniques that actually work, self-soothing strategies that don't involve harm, and ways to radically accept difficult situations while still working toward change. These skills are particularly valuable for Fresno residents dealing with financial stress, caregiving responsibilities, or chronic health conditions that create ongoing pressure.
The group provides accountability and support as you practice replacing old, harmful patterns with skills that preserve your dignity and relationships even during your most difficult moments.
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Mindfulness isn't just sitting quietly for meditation; it's being fully present during your teenager's emotional outburst, staying focused during important work meetings, and noticing your emotional triggers before they escalate. Our group teaches practical mindfulness skills you can use anywhere, from Fresno traffic jams to family gatherings that historically trigger old patterns.
You'll learn to observe and describe skills that help you step back from intense emotions, participate in skills that help you stay engaged without becoming overwhelmed, and develop non-judgmental awareness that reduces the shame spiral that often accompanies difficult emotions. These skills become the foundation for all other DBT techniques, helping you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively to life's challenges.
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Individual therapy is valuable, but there's something powerful about learning alongside others who truly understand your struggles. Our Fresno DBT group creates a community where you can practice vulnerability, receive feedback on your progress, and witness others successfully implementing the same skills you're learning.
This group isn't about giving advice or fixing each other's problems, it's about creating a supportive environment where everyone commits to practicing these life-changing skills together. Many participants form lasting friendships and continue supporting each other's growth long after completing the group.
The accountability and encouragement you'll receive helps ensure these skills become permanent parts of how you navigate relationships and challenges.
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Learning DBT skills is one thing, using them consistently in your actual life is another. Our group helps you bridge that gap by focusing on real-world applications relevant to Central Valley living. Whether you're dealing with extended family dynamics common in Fresno's close-knit communities, managing stress in agricultural or healthcare careers, or navigating the unique challenges of raising children in today's world, we help you adapt these skills to your specific circumstances.
You'll complete homework assignments that gradually integrate these techniques into your daily routine, and group sessions include troubleshooting challenges you encounter while practicing. This practical approach ensures you're not just learning concepts, you're developing habits that will serve you for life.
Our Service Categories
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While our DBT Skills Group focuses on skill-building rather than individual processing, many participants find that individual therapy enhances their group experience. Our individual therapists work collaboratively with group facilitators to ensure you're getting comprehensive support. Individual sessions can help you process how these skills apply to your specific relationships and circumstances, work through any trauma that interferes with skill implementation, and develop personalized strategies for your unique challenges. This combination of group skills training and individual therapy support creates the most effective environment for lasting change.
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Learning DBT skills is most effective when your closest relationships support your growth. We offer family and couples sessions to help your loved ones understand what you're learning and how they can best support your progress. These sessions aren't about changing your family members, they're about improving communication patterns and reducing interactions that trigger old, unhealthy dynamics. When families learn these skills together, everyone benefits from clearer communication, better conflict resolution, and stronger emotional connections.
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After completing the initial DBT skills training, many participants want continued support for practicing and refining these techniques. Our ongoing support groups provide that community and accountability, helping ensure these skills remain strong parts of your daily life. These groups focus on troubleshooting real-world applications, celebrating progress, and supporting each other through life's ongoing challenges using the DBT framework you've learned.
Our Process
Step 1: Join Our Interest List
Complete our brief interest form to learn about upcoming DBT Skills Groups and receive information about group format, scheduling, and preparation. We'll contact you within 48 hours to discuss your goals, answer questions about the group process, and determine if DBT skills training is the right fit for your current needs. This initial conversation helps ensure you feel confident and prepared before committing to the group experience.
Step 2: Attend Group Orientation
Before joining the active skills group, you'll attend an orientation session where you'll meet other participants, learn group guidelines, and receive your DBT skills workbook. This session covers confidentiality, group expectations, and homework requirements while helping you feel comfortable with the group format. You'll also complete brief assessments that help facilitators understand your specific goals and challenges.
Step 3: Participate in Weekly Skills Training
Our DBT skills groups meet weekly for structured sessions covering the four core modules over approximately 16-20 weeks. Each session includes brief check-ins, new skill instruction, practice exercises, and homework review. You'll receive handouts and worksheets to reinforce learning between sessions, and facilitators will provide individualized feedback to ensure you're mastering each skill before moving forward.
Step 4: Practice and Integration
Throughout the group, you'll complete practice assignments that help you apply these skills in your daily life. Facilitators help you troubleshoot challenges and adapt techniques to your specific circumstances. By the end of the group, these skills become natural responses rather than conscious techniques, creating lasting changes in how you handle emotions and relationships.
Step 5: Continued Growth Planning
As the group concludes, we'll help you develop a plan for maintaining and continuing to strengthen these skills. This might include joining our ongoing support group, continuing with individual therapy, or connecting with community resources that support your continued growth and well-being.
Our Approach
At Olive Leaf Therapy, we believe that healing happens through healthy connections, with yourself, your emotions, and your relationships.
Our DBT Skills Group reflects this philosophy by creating a safe, supportive environment where you can learn life-changing skills alongside others who understand your journey. We integrate attachment-based principles with evidence-based DBT techniques, recognizing that your early relationships shaped your current patterns and that healing happens within the context of secure, supportive connections.
Our trauma-informed approach means we understand that many emotional and relationship struggles stem from past experiences that taught you to survive rather than thrive. We never pathologize your current coping strategies, instead, we help you build new skills that serve you better in creating the relationships and emotional stability you deserve. Our group facilitators are trained in both DBT techniques and attachment-based interventions, ensuring you receive comprehensive support that addresses both symptoms and underlying patterns.
We specifically adapt our approach to serve Fresno's diverse community, recognizing the unique cultural, economic, and social factors that influence mental health in the Central Valley. Whether you're dealing with intergenerational family dynamics, economic stressors, or the isolation that can come with life transitions, our group provides culturally sensitive support that honors your background while teaching universal skills for emotional regulation and relationship satisfaction.
Our collaborative approach means you're not a passive recipient of treatment, you're an active participant in your healing journey. We believe you are the expert on your own life, and our role is to provide tools, support, and a safe space for you to practice new ways of being in relationship with yourself and others.
FAQs
Olive Leaf Therapy has been serving Fresno families since 2014, providing attachment-based, trauma-informed therapy services throughout the Central Valley. Founded by Laura Slagle, our practice specializes in helping individuals, couples, and families restore peace through healthy connections.
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DBT Skills Groups are educational and skills-focused rather than processing-focused. Instead of sharing personal stories or giving each other advice, you'll learn specific techniques through instruction, practice, and homework assignments. The group format provides support and accountability while maintaining appropriate boundaries and confidentiality.
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Many of our participants are new to therapy or group experiences. Our orientation process and experienced facilitators help you feel comfortable and confident. The structured format makes it easier for newcomers since there are clear guidelines and expectations rather than open-ended discussions.
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Our comprehensive DBT skills training typically runs 16-20 weeks, covering all four core modules thoroughly. This timeline allows adequate practice and integration of each skill set before moving to the next module.
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Absolutely. Many participants find that individual therapy and skills group work complement each other perfectly. Individual sessions can help you process how these skills apply to your specific circumstances and relationships.
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We understand that life happens. If you miss a session, we'll provide you with materials and a brief individual check-in to ensure you don't fall behind. Consistent attendance is important for getting the full benefit, but we work with you when unexpected conflicts arise.