DBT

What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). It integrates a number of other approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, rational-emotive therapy, and mindfulness training. It is specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people understand how thoughts affect emotions and behaviors.

“Dialectical” means understanding that opposite ideas sometimes co-exist; that life is complicated and can still make sense; that there are many ways of looking at a situation and that different perspectives can all be true. DBT focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, as well as helping them learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviors.

Dialectical behavior therapy was developed in the 1970s by Marsha Linehan, an American psychologist.

What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) used for?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is especially effective for people who have difficulty managing and regulating their emotions.

DBT has proven to be effective for treating and managing a wide range of mental health conditions, including:

  • Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

  • Self-harm

  • Suicidal behavior

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

  • Substance use disorder

  • Eating disorders, specifically binge eating disorder and bulimia

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

It’s important to note that the reason DBT has proved effective for treating these conditions is that each of these conditions is thought to be associated with issues that result from unhealthy or problematic efforts to control intense, negative emotions. Rather than depending on coping strategies that cause problems for the person, DBT helps people learn how to cope better and then solve their problems.

WHAT DOES TREATMENT LOOK LIKE?

DBT HAS FOUR PARTS:

  • Individual therapy structured to focus on solving the highest priority problems first. Individual therapy includes five kinds of interventions: changing problematic thought habits, learning how emotions work as our inner guidance system and how to stay regulated even when having strong feelings, skills training and in-session practice, behavioral strategies to understand what drives problematic habits and help make changes easier, and a process for figuring out solutions to complicated problems.

  • Skills training in Core Mindfulness Skills, Distress Tolerance Skills, Emotion Regulation Skills and Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

  • Phone Coaching between sessions to learn how to master skills in your real life situations

  • Consultation Team for DBT therapists to help them deliver effective DBT, a community of therapists supporting a community of clients

If you think DBT might be right for you, contact us to schedule an orientation session. We’ll talk more about your needs and issues and decide together whether to move forward with starting DBT.