Classes for adolescents and parents who want to learn and develop:

Ways to manage emotions effectively

Communication skills to improve interpersonal relationships

Strategies to get through crises without making things worse

Mindfulness skills to approach life with more acceptance and understanding

Walking the Middle Path
Mindfulness
Walking the
Middle path
Emotion
Regulation
Distress
Tolerance
Interpersonal
Effectiveness
th
Class participants must also be in individual therapy, at least once per month, while in skills training classes.
Ronnie Cunningham PhD: ronec24@comcast.net
(206) 335-8783
Aimee Coonerty-Femiano PhD: aimeecfphd@gmail.com
(206) 940-8624
About the Skills Trainers:
Dr. Ronnie Cunningham is a Washington
State licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist. He currently teaches in the graduate program in the College of
Education at the UW and has a private psychology practice in Seattle. Over the last twenty years he has worked as a school teacher, head high school football coach, and psychologist in several educational, clinical and non-profit settings with families and students of all ages.
Dr. Aimee Coonerty-Femiano is a
Washington state licensed psychologist.
She received her Ph.D. from Boston
College in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Child Psychology. She is trained in providing individual, group and systemic family therapy for a broad range of psychiatric, developmental, and behavioral conditions and has a subspecialization in the treatment of childhood trauma through the use of empirically validated treatments. She currently has a private practice in
Bellevue.
Improve your ability to manage to your emotions
Stop hurting yourself with behaviors you can’t control

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), created by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP, at the University of
Washington, is a thorough cognitive-behavioral treatment that was originally developed to address treatment of chronically suicidal individuals suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Research has shown that DBT is effective at treating individuals with suicidal and other multiple occurring significant dysfunctional behaviors. Clinical trials using DBT programs for treating adolescent based difficulties associated with suicidal, self-harmful and other quality of life interfering behaviors are currently being done. Initial findings suggest its use is an effective intervention approach for this population.
DBT is not a suicide prevention program. It is a
‘life worth living program’ (Linehan, 1993). It balances therapeutic warmth, empathy and acceptance of the person dealing with difficult circumstances through strategic behavioral change strategies that address negativistic or problematic thinking styles and teaches the individual to more effectively regulate their emotional and interpersonal experiences.
DBT Modes:
1.
Skills Training * – teaches new behavior skills through mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
2.
Individual Therapy – helps the
individual to apply what is learned in skills training to their life outside of therapy.
3.
Telephone Coaching – helps the individual further generalize the development of effective coping when in crises.
4.
Structuring the Environment * – support through consultation & restructuring of the individual’s environments (family & friends).
5.
Consultation Team – therapy for the therapists to support their work with clients in skills training & therapy.
* Please Note: This skills training class will cover Modes 1 & 4.