Parenting a child with big feelings can be both beautiful and exhausting. You love their sensitivity, creativity, and intensity, yet you may also feel confused, drained, or worried about how to actually help them when their emotions seem to take over. At DBT of South Jersey, our Parent Training Group is a key part of our Supersenser Program, created to support not just kids, but the parents who walk alongside them every day.
What Is a “Supersenser”?
Some children feel the world more intensely than others. They may react strongly to changes in routine, become easily overwhelmed, or struggle to calm down once upset. These are the “supersensers” – kids whose emotional sensitivity is real, valid, and often deeply tied to their strengths.
In our Supersenser Program, each child is seen individually by a therapist and carefully evaluated to determine whether they fit this profile. Through intake and ongoing sessions, the therapist identifies if a child is a supersenser and collaborates with caregivers about next steps, which often include inviting parents into the Parent Training Group.
Why Parent Training Is Essential To Your Child’s Progress
It can be easy to think, “My child is the one struggling, so shouldn’t therapy be just for them?” In DBT-informed work with young children, we know that real change happens in the environment the child lives in every day – and that means the family.
Our Parent Training Group exists because:
Kids learn regulation by watching the adults around them.
A child cannot consistently stay regulated if the adults are overwhelmed and dysregulated.
Parents need their own skills and support in order to respond effectively to high-intensity emotions.
The group’s primary function is to help parents learn and practice concrete skills to regulate their own emotions, stay grounded in hard moments, and respond to their child in ways that are effective, validating, and consistent.
When parents learn to stay regulated and model skillful behavior, they create a home environment where a supersensor child can actually use and maintain their own treatment skills. In other words, while the group is “for parents only,” its true purpose is to help the child reach their goals of stabilizing mood and improving emotion regulation.
How the Supersenser Program and Parent Training Work Together
The Supersenser Program at DBT of South Jersey combines two essential tracks: individual therapy for the child and skills training for the parent.
Individual evaluation and sessions for the child
A therapist meets with your child for intake and ongoing sessions.
Through these sessions, the therapist assesses emotional sensitivity, patterns, and needs.
If your child is identified as a supersenser, the therapist will talk with you about the Supersenser Program and the Parent Training Group.
Gaining commitment from parents for the group
The therapist collaborates with you to explore fit, expectations, and goals.
Parents are invited to join the group as active partners in treatment, not as bystanders.
Parent Training Group for caregivers only
The group is designed specifically for parents and caregivers of supersensor kids.
While children are not in the room, everything you learn is intended to help them directly at home and in their own sessions.
This integrated structure reflects a core DBT idea: change and support are most effective when they involve both the individual and the environment around them.
What Parents Learn In The Group
The Parent Training Group focuses on real-life skills, not abstract theory. Parents learn how to:
Recognize their own emotional cues and signs of dysregulation before they spiral.
Use concrete emotion regulation tools to calm their own nervous system in the moment.
Navigate power struggles and meltdowns with greater clarity and less reactivity.
Respond to big feelings with validation, boundaries, and consistency.
Build a home environment that supports skill use rather than escalating conflict.
For example, a parent might come in feeling defeated about nightly battles at bedtime. In group, they might learn how to notice their own rising frustration, practice a regulating skill (like paced breathing or a DBT coping strategy), use a validating statement with their child, and then follow through with a clear, calm limit. Over time, these small shifts can significantly change the emotional tone at home.
Why Your Regulation Matters So Much
It is common for parents to feel guilty when they hear that their own regulation affects their child. At DBT of South Jersey, we approach this with compassion and radical acceptance: you are doing the best you can, and you can also learn new ways of responding that make life easier for you and your child.
When you are regulated, you are more able to:
Think clearly under pressure.
Choose responses instead of reacting from stress.
Offer your child a sense of safety, even when they feel out of control.
Model the very emotion regulation skills your child is learning in therapy.
This is not about being a “perfect” parent. It is about becoming a more supported, skillful, and self-aware one. Our team walks alongside you in that process, with respect for your lived experience and confidence in your ability to grow.
Who This Group Is For
The Parent Training Group is designed for caregivers who:
Have a child currently engaged in individual therapy at DBT of South Jersey.
Have a child identified as a supersensor by their therapist.
Are willing to participate, practice skills, and be part of their child’s treatment process.
If your child has intense emotions, frequent meltdowns, or difficulty calming down, and you often feel unsure how to respond, you are not alone. Many parents in the group share similar stories of loving their child deeply and feeling overwhelmed by the day-to-day emotional storms.
Taking the Next Step
If you are curious about the Parent Training Group or wondering if the Supersenser Program might fit your child, we encourage you to reach out to DBT of South Jersey for more information or to schedule an intake. Our team is here to help you understand options, discuss fit, and guide you through next steps with clarity and care.
You do not have to navigate your child’s big emotions on your own. With the right support and skills, both you and your supersensor child can move toward more stability, connection, and hope at home.
Start Therapy in Moorestown or Voorhees, NJ
If you are curious about DBT or wondering if it could help you or your family, you do not have to decide alone. Contact DBT of South Jersey to schedule a therapy consultation. Together with your South Jersey DBT therapist, you can explore what level of DBT support fits your needs, whether you are seeking a full program or focused skills work. There truly is something in DBT for everyone. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
- Book a call to speak with our intake coordinator to see if therapy is right for you.
- Begin meeting with a skilled therapist.
- Build the skills you need to thrive!
Other Services Offered at DBT of South Jersey
At DBT of South Jersey, we offer a wide range of therapeutic services to support your mental health journey. Specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), we help individuals manage intense emotions, build healthy relationships, and develop effective coping strategies. In addition to supporting you with DBT, we provide individual counseling, therapy for teens and children, trauma therapy, therapy for OCD and anxiety, therapy for anxiety, sadness, and self-doubt, as well as couples and family therapy. We are also proud to offer LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy, veterans services, holistic healing, Reiki, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to help clients heal from trauma and emotional distress. Whether you’re navigating personal challenges or looking to enhance your well-being, our compassionate team of expert therapists is here to help you create the life you deserve.