The Parent Companion

Parenting a teen who struggles with big emotions can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and lonely.

You may find yourself walking on eggshells, unsure whether to step in or step back. Wanting to help — but worried that you’re saying or doing the wrong thing. Trying to stay calm while everything inside you feels anything but.

The Parent Companion was created for parents exactly like you.

This e-book is a practical, compassionate guide to help you understand the skills your teen is learning in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) — and how to support them at home without becoming their therapist, rescuer, or the “DBT police.”

What This Book Will Help You Do

✔ Respond to emotional outbursts with validation instead of escalation
✔ Reduce power struggles and repeated conflict
✔ Understand what DBT actually is — and how it works in real life
✔ Support your teen’s skill practice in a way that feels natural and respectful
✔ Stay grounded and regulated during difficult moments
✔ Care for your own emotional wellbeing while caring for your teen

This is not about doing everything perfectly.
It’s about showing up with more clarity, confidence, and compassion — for your teen and for yourself.

What Makes The Parent Companion Different

This book is:

• DBT-informed, not overwhelming or technical

• Written specifically for parents, not clinicians

• Grounded in nearly two decades of clinical experience

• Honest about how hard this journey can be

• Practical, relatable, and deeply validating

You’ll learn how to hold two truths at the same time:

“My teen is doing the best they can — and they are learning how to do better.”
“I want to support them — and I need boundaries too.”

What’s Inside

You’ll be guided through:

• A clear, parent-friendly introduction to DBT

• Your role as a supportive presence (not a fixer)

• Validation and effective communication

• Mindfulness and emotion regulation in the home

• Distress tolerance for crisis moments

• Parenting from Wise Mind

• Supporting skills practice without nagging

• Caring for the caregiver — you

Each section is written to be approachable, reassuring, and usable in everyday life.

Who This Book Is For

This book is for you if:

• Your teen is currently in DBT (or about to start)

• You want to support them without losing yourself

• You feel unsure how to respond when emotions run high

• You want practical tools, not judgement or blame

• You’re ready to learn — alongside your teen

A Final Word

You don’t have to get this right all the time.
You don’t have to have all the answers.

By investing in The Parent Companion, you’re already doing something powerful:
Choosing understanding over fear.
Skill over reaction.
Connection over control.