What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a highly effective, evidence-based type of psychotherapy that helps people with intense emotional experiences learn to manage their emotions, improve relationships, tolerate distress, and avoid unhealthy behaviors. DBT emphasizes identifying problematic behaviors and replacing them with new, more effective coping strategies. The term "dialectical" refers to the core principle of finding a balance between two seemingly opposing concepts: acceptance and change. DBT teaches individuals to accept themselves, their emotions, and their current reality without judgment, while simultaneously working towards making positive changes to build a life worth living.

DBT was originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but its applications have expanded to include a wide range of mental health conditions.  DBT can support individuals with suicidal ideation and self-harm, chronic emotional dysregulation, substance use disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.

DBT focuses on teaching practical skills in four main categories. These categories are mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Mindfulness helps individuals focus on and accept the present moment without judgment, becoming more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Distress tolerance skills equip individuals to cope with intense emotional pain and difficult situations without resorting to destructive behaviors. This includes strategies like distraction, self-soothing, and thinking about pros and cons. Emotion Regulation helps individuals understand, identify, and manage their emotions more effectively, reducing emotional vulnerability and intense emotional reactions. Interpersonal effectiveness skills focus on improving communication, asserting needs, setting boundaries, and maintaining healthy relationships.
By Jessica Whittington, LCSW, CCTP-II, ADHD-CCSP, C-DBT
#DBT #DialecticalBehavioralTherapy #mindfulness #emotionregulation #interpersonaleffectiveness #distresstolerance #newbernmentalhealth

---