At The Dorm, we’re always evolving our therapeutic offerings to better serve our diverse client community. One of our newest group programs adapts Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills specifically for neurodiverse individuals, with a dedicated curriculum designed by our expert clinicians. We sat down with Group Leader of our Neurodiverse DBT Skills Group, Maddox Emerick, LMSW, to discuss the inspiration behind this group and how it’s making DBT more accessible and engaging.
Q&A with Group Leader and Lead Senior Therapist Maddox Emerick, LMSW
The Dorm: Can you tell us about the foundation of this skills-based group and what makes it unique?
Maddox Emerick, LMSW: Our group is built on Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT curriculum, which focuses on four core domains designed to help individuals regulate their emotions and navigate interpersonal relationships. What makes our approach unique is that we map these DBT skills onto the neurodiversity paradigm, which aims to celebrate the natural neurodiversity we all share. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we’re creating space to celebrate and support the natural diversity in how our brains function.
How does this adaptation make DBT more accessible for neurodiverse individuals?
We’ve adjusted the materials to be more engaging and flexible. Instead of rigid worksheets, we incorporate active learning elements—opportunities to color, free-write, and take a “choose-your-own-adventure” approach to skill application. We also integrate sensory considerations and self-advocacy, helping clients understand and use their experiences to enhance distress tolerance and emotion regulation.
Why is self-advocacy an important part of this group?
Neurodiverse individuals often face additional challenges in advocating for their needs in a world designed for neurotypical ways of thinking and communicating. We emphasize practical self-advocacy strategies to help clients express their needs effectively while maintaining connection and belonging.
Are you experiencing persistent difficulty focusing, staying organized, managing time, or following through on tasks?
What’s most exciting to you about this group?
What really excites me is that it offers tools that have helped a lot of our clients at The Dorm, but allows for some creativity and agency in terms of how we can learn and apply these skills as we learn to manage a diagnosis of autism, ADHD or other neuro-developmental differences.
What inspired the creation of this group?
It stemmed from both client desire and clinician feedback. Many clients at The Dorm wanted a DBT skills group – a central offering of The Dorm – specifically tailored for neurodivergent individuals. Since launching, the feedback has been positive. Clients find the group approachable, concrete, and easy to understand—exactly what we hoped to achieve.
Thank you, Maddox! Learn more about our autism treatment for young adults and our holistic approach to care.
Do you or a loved one need help with mental health?
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