Results from this open trial provide initial support for the feasibility and clinical effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD) in a highly symptomatic sample. Significant improvement from pre- to posttreatment was evident to suicidality, nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior, emotional dysregulation, and depressive symptoms. These findings are from a small open trial, with no data from a comparison group, and should be seen viewed as preliminary findings. The study demonstrates the feasibility of implementing DBT with adolescent BP patients and their families by incorporating adaptations for age and illness. Over the past decade, BP in children and adolescents has gained increasing attention. Adolescents with BP exhibit a difficult illness course characterized by prolonged episodes, substantial inter-episodic symptoms and marked functional impairment. DBT is an evidence-based psychotherapy developed for adults with borderline personality disorder. The main DBT target is emotional dysregulation. DBT was adapted for suicidal adolescents by incorporating age-appropriate language, decreasing treatment length, and involving family members in skills training groups. In light of the successful adaptation of DBT for adolescents and the role of emotional dysregulation in BP, DBT was applied to the treatment of BP adolescents. Clinical methods and treatment adaptations for adolescents were from an open trial of DBT and pharmacotherapy in 10 adolescents with BP. Tables, figures and references