This is a 12-week (90-minute) skill-building group for those with significant challenges with tolerating emotional distress and regulating behaviour. You will learn specific strategies to help tolerate emotional crises and intense feelings; including examining the pros and cons of acting impulsively and engaging in destructive behaviour. MPE teaches practical tools to understand your feelings and to exercise control over upsets that create ongoing difficulties in your life.
Weeks 1 to 6 cover distress tolerance and includes concepts such as accepting reality, willfulness versus willingness, and crisis survival skills. Weeks 7 to 12 teach emotion regulation concepts and tools. You will learn techniques to identify and/or label your emotions, understand the purpose of emotions, recognize what activates emotions, and how to use skills to gain control over upsets.
In order to successfully complete the MPE group, you must attend at least 9 out of 12 sessions, actively participate in the group, complete worksheets weekly, and use the skills and tools in their day-to-day life. If these requirements are met, you can then be considered for additional DBT-informed skill-building groups: Mindfulness and People Skills. You are welcome to repeat the MPE group.