Emotional regulation poses a challenge for many individuals, particularly among college students. Recognizing this need, Stavroula Sassos and Candice Clifford, mental health counselors at the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), focused on addressing this issue. They identified that students required support in emotional regulation skills and found that Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) could effectively manage emotions.
Clifford mentioned, "Through meeting with students we identified that students needed support with learning emotional regulation skills." Traditional DBT courses are extensive, which led Sassos and Clifford to adapt the model to be more accessible for students. Sassos said, "We decided [on] running a condensed group consisting of four 45-minute long sessions."
The counselors saw immediate positive changes in students and decided to formalize their findings into a research study. Encouraged by CAPS Executive Director Smita Majumdar Das and Associate Director Oren Shefet, they applied for the 2025 Research Grant from the American College Counseling Association (ACCA). Clifford remarked, "We were both excited by the idea of conducting research and the possibility of being able to disseminate our findings to other colleges and universities that we wanted to apply right away."
The submission involved a rigorous process, including a literature review, and faced significant competition. Sassos noted, "Study teams from universities across the country sent in their own proposals." Their study, "The Effectiveness of a DBT Informed Skills Group Within a Brief Therapy Model Among College Students," received the grant. Sassos expressed, "We were both so elated when we found out."
Clifford added, "When we accepted the Research Grant at the 2025 ACCA conference, we were so proud to be representing Stony Brook University." The recognition highlights the university's national presence in the counseling field.
Going forward, the team aims to refine and expand their DBT model within CAPS, train others, and explore additional groups. Clifford concluded, "By listening to our students, we will continue to identify needs and implement supportive interventions to improve well-being."
— Emily Cappiello