Do you feel your mind is being pulled in a hundred different directions at once? Do you have a hard time handling some of your emotions, and does this cause any problems in your relationships or with impulsive and reactive behaviors?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) offers individuals comprehensive skills to manage painful and intense emotions and decrease relationship conflicts. This modality focuses on 4 specific areas of therapeutic skills. These are:

• Mindfulness – Helps individuals be present in the current moment.
• Distress tolerance – Most people try and keep themselves safe from all painful emotions. Distress tolerance is geared toward increasing a person’s tolerance of painful emotions.
• Emotion regulation – Offers strategies to manage intense emotions. 
• Interpersonal effectiveness – These techniques allow an individual to communicate with others in a confident, assertive way that maintains self-respect and strengthens relationships.

How Does it Work Exactly?

Many of us live our daily lives with a constant stream of uncontrollable, intense and painful emotions right under our awareness. These emotions affect how we feel about ourselves and how we interact with other people, including friends, romantic partners, co-workers, and family members.

DBT essentially works with individuals to help them find ways to manage their painful emotions so they can feel balanced, in control, and able to interact respectfully and successfully. The message at the heart of DBT is balancing acceptance and change.

When is DBT Used and What Can You Expect?

While dialectical behavioral therapy was initially developed to treat those with borderline personality disorder, research has since shown that DBT can successfully treat people with depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance use. 

DBT treatment usually consists of a combination of DBT skills and practicing these skills in between sessions. Sessions focus on helping you apply DBT skills to your daily life, address any obstacles that may arise, and keep you motivated! 

I have extensive experience and training in DBT, having worked in an Intensive Outpatient Program at a local hospital for 17 years. I have also attended training provided by Marsha Linehan, the creator of DBT, herself. 

If you or someone you know may benefit from dialectical behavior therapy, please get in touch with me. I would be happy to discuss how I may be able to help.