Main Site

Please visit the CCDBT website for more information on CCDBT, including staff members and services offered.

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Mindful New Years Resolutions

As we turn towards 2014 and close the book on 2013, some of us find it helpful to take stock of our lives and make resolutions for the upcoming year.  This is certainly nothing new. As a DBT therapist, I can't help but wonder, what are some ways in which we can resolve to be more mindful in 2014?

1. Daily Activities - We can practice mindfulness while doing ANYTHING (by itself).  We can mindfully drive a car (no music, no talking on bluetooth, no eating, just focusing on the road), brush our teeth (focus on the taste of the toothpaste, the feel of the bristles on your tongue, etc), do the dishes, and take a shower (focus on the smells, the feel of the soap, etc).  We can mindfully change diapers, prepare dinner, and even type emails.  We can resolve to practice one daily activity mindfully each day; by doing so, we are fully participating in that activity alone and exercising our mindfulness muscle for other times when we may need it.

2. Relationships - We can practice mindfulness while talking on the phone or talking in person to anyone.  We all have had conversations with others while driving, doing the dishes, cleaing up around the house, etc; when we multitask in this way, we always miss out on something.  When we are mindful with others, we give them the gift of our attention which can help to improve the quality of our relationships.

3. Daily Formal Practice - A daily mindfulness practice could entail sitting for 5 minutes each morning and focusing on your breath.  It could also mean walking mindfully to the train station or doing a body scan every evening after dinner. Regardless of which formal practice you choose, we find that people tend to stick with the practice if they schedule it in (even a few minutes is sufficient) and commit to doing it every day. 

We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2014!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Article on Gratitude in Children

Click here to read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the many benefits of raising kids with gratitute.  The article cites research stating that teenagers with high levels of gratitude had higher GPAs, less depression, and less envy than less grateful teenagers.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Article on Happiness in NY Times

Click here to read an article from this week's NY Times about research on happiness.  The article discusses factors that contribute to our happiness, including those which we can and cannot control.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Mindfulness Explained!

Click here to see a very user-friendly site with great animated videos to explain the abstact concepts of mindfulness.  You can watch the short videos and try out the site for 10 days for free. 

Drinking Tea Mindfully

Click here to read a great post on taking time for yourself by being mindful during the holiday season.  The writer suggests several different mindfulness practices, including drinking tea, brushing your teeth, and walking mindfully.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Post-Doctoral Fellowship Position at CCDBT



POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN DIALECTICAL AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY

The Center for Cognitive & Dialectical Behavior Therapy (CCDBT)
PLLC  invites applications for a year long post-doctoral fellowship beginning Summer/Fall 2014 FOR OUR NYC & LONG ISLAND OFFICES
Professional activities will include: Providing individual and group Dialectical Behavior Therapy for adolescents, adults, & families; providing cognitive therapies for depression & anxiety;
providing skills training for parental management of childhood
behavior disorders, and providing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
to medically referred clients.  Postdoctoral fellows will participate
in program development and administration, monitoring client outcomes,
and conducting research. Specific activities will be determined with
the fellow to match his/her career goals.

The Center for Cognitive & Dialectical Behavior Therapy (CCDBT) PLLC,
is:
a privately-owned therapy center made up of licensed psychologists
and social workers. The mission of CCDBT is to provide effective and
specialized treatment to people of all ages who are experiencing
difficulties in their lives.  The goal of CCDBT is to help people meet
the challenges in their lives and develop the skills needed to deal
with such challenges. For more information, see
http://www.ccdbt.com.

Applicants will be considered who: Complete a clinical psychology
doctorate by the start date: demonstrate strong potential for a career
in programmatic implementation of DBT, have substantial experience in
CBT and with adolescents and families. Experience with Dialectical
Behavior Therapy is highly preferable.
Applications are reviewed and interviews are granted on a rolling admissions basis.

Please email or fax letter of interest, CV, & 3 letters of reference to:   
Jennifer Byrnes, Ph.D.
Director of Research & Training, CCDBT
jbyrnes@ccdbt.com
fax: 516-396-2195