SAGE Progressions CBT: Individual therapy + Group Therapy
SAGE Progressions CBT participants learn coping skills to help manage uncomfortable emotions that lead to avoidance.
What is SAGE Progressions CBT?
SAGE Progressions CBT is a ten-week Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy program that includes individual therapy and a weekly skills group that aims to help young adults (aged 18-30) overcome avoidance, tolerate distress, and manage uncomfortable emotions. The program is designed for individuals with anxiety and mood disorders (e.g. OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, PTSD, Illness Anxiety Disorder, Major Deperssive Disorder) who utilize avoidant coping strategies to manage symptoms. Participants may struggle to take steps toward their goals, engage in daily living activities on their own, and may require significant help or accommodation from their families to do so.
Group meets Wednesdays from 10:00am-12:00pm for ten weeks. IIn group, young adults learn about what drives their emotional and behavioral avoidance patterns. They acquire a range of CBT skills to challenge emotion-based thinking styles, regulate emotion, tolerate discomfort or distress, and feel more capable and confident. During each group meeting, they will also practice in-session exposures with peer and group leader support. Exposures are evidence-based therapeutic interventions in which an individual gradually performs avoided behaviors to reduce distress and build capability. Each group member’s exposure tasks in group are individualized to their specific needs and goals. Group members will also complete exposures for homework in order to generalize progress to their daily lives.
While participating in group, young adults must meet with an individual therapist at least once per week. This therapist may be a CBC clinician or an outside provider. If more intensive exposure therapy is recommended, or the young adult needs more support to complete assigned exposure homework, participants may engage in supplemental individual exposure sessions with a CBC clinician.
Please note that in order to attend the SAGE Progressions CBT group, patients must have the ability to engage in exposures without resorting to suicidal ideation, self-injury, or avoiding group. Patients who are not yet ready to engage in exposure tasks may benefit from participation in the SAGE Foundations program for greater emotional and behavioral stabilization.
Ongoing Treatment
The minimum commitment for this group is one cycle of ten weeks. Following completion of ten weeks, members may elect to participate in additional cycles for ongoing support. Members may also continue meeting with their individual therapist, or supplement their treatment with additional individual exposure sessions.
This group is part of the larger SAGE Progressions program, which also includes a DBT graduate skills group on Tuesdays and an Executive Functioning group for developing skills for independence on Thursdays. SAGE Progressions CBT members may participate in one or both of the other SAGE Progressions groups, or may participate in SAGE Progressions CBT as a standalone treatment experience.
Parent Support
Parents of SAGE community members can meet their own community in our Parents of Young Adults group, where parents learn a DBT-based parenting curriculum to support their young adult, provide appropriate guidance through this developmental stage, balance their role as a parent with fostering their young adult’s independence, and respond effectively to their young-adult’s emotion-based behaviors. Parents may also participate in SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), which is an evidence-based parent skills group focused on reducing parent accommodation of a child’s anxiety symptoms, which in turn serves to decrease a child’s anxiety over time, increase their coping abilities, and help them take steps toward independence.
SAGE Progressions CBT FAQs:
Who can benefit from this group?
This group is designed for young adults with a range of anxiety and mood disorders who struggle to engage in daily living activities on their own and require significant support and accommodation from their families. This program is ideal for individuals who seek to overcome avoidance, need more support to engage in exposure and response prevention treatment, and/or would benefit from increased exposures.
When does the group meet?
The SAGE Progressions CBT group meets on Wednesdays from 10:00am-12:00pm.
Where does the group meet?
While the SAGE Progressions CBT group meets physically in our White Plains office, all SAGE groups are equipped for hybrid in-person and virtual participation. Clients may participate in groups fully remotely if clinically appropriate, or may participate some days in-person and some days via telehealth. Individual SAGE therapists are located in the White Plains and New York City offices for weekly individual appointments. The White Plains offices is accessible via Metro North for clients living in NYC and the greater Westchester area.
When can new members join?
New members can join weekly on Wednesdays.
Do you need to be in individual therapy while attending SAGE Progressions CBT groups?
Yes. Patients are required to be in individual therapy at CBC or elsewhere but are not required to be in DBT or CBT.
How long is the commitment?
Patients are required to meet for ten weeks, with the option of re-committing to an additional cycle of ten weeks to continue exposure practice. Participants can miss two groups per cycle.
What is the process for joining?
Call CBC’s intake line at 914 385 1150 x1 or 212 595 9559 x 1 to schedule a 90-minute intake. The intake consists of 60 minutes of assessment with the young adult patient, and 30 minutes of orientation to the program for young adults and their parents. If joining this group following completion of SAGE Foundations or if you are already receiving individual therapy within CBC, you are required to attend a 45-minute orientation and assessment session before joining the group.
Are patients required to participate in the SAGE Foundations program or other SAGE Progressions groups before joining the SAGE Progressions CBT program?
No. Patients can directly attend SAGE Progressions CBT without first completing SAGE Foundations and do not need to enroll in other SAGE Progressions groups if not relevant to their needs and goals.
How will parents be involved?
Consent to speak with parents is a requirement of this program. Parents will be contacted if patients are not attending sessions repeatedly or if we have concerns about safety. If recommended, parents may be included in treatment through family sessions with their young adult and his or her individual therapist. Parents may also participate in parent skills groups.
What can I hope to achieve after completing the program?
After ten weeks in SAGE Progressions CBT, young adults will have acquired advanced CBT skills to help them tolerate a range of uncomfortable emotions without escaping through avoidant behaviors. They will have increased awareness and understanding of their patterns of behaviors contributing to their current challenges. They will have acquired skills to confront and tolerate emotions in difficult situations that previously interfered with their functioning and long-term goals.
What are the options for aftercare?
After completion of SAGE Progressions CBT, patients have the option of repeating the group for a second cycle of ten weeks to continue exposure practice and generalization. Patients may continue in treatment with their individual therapist, or may pursue supplemental individual exposure sessions as opposed to an additional group cycle.
Please visit our SAGE program pages for more detail on our specific programs:
SAGE Foundations: Young Adult Individual Therapy + DBT Skills Group
- SAGE Progressions: Individual Therapy and Skill Generalization Groups