Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a highly structured and evidence-based therapeutic approach. DBT combines principles of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) with mindfulness and dialectical thinking to help individuals manage intense emotions, improve relationships, enhance distress tolerance, and develop effective coping strategies.
How Can DBT Help?
DBT aims to empower you to navigate life's challenges and emotional distress more effectively. DBT will help you improve emotion regulation by teaching you practical skills to manage and regulate intense emotions, thereby reducing emotional reactivity. It will also focus on enhancing your ability to communicate, set boundaries, and build healthier relationships so that you are more interpersonally effective. In DBT, there is a focus on developing mindfulness skills to help you connect to the present moment, reduce stress and make more conscious choices. Finally, DBT will help you acquire the tools to tolerate and cope with distress without resorting to unhealthy behaviours.
What Conditions Does DBT Treat?
DBT is particularly effective in treating conditions characterized by emotional dysregulation and impulsivity, including:
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Borderline Personality Disorder
DBT is a highly recommended treatment for those suffering with Borderline Personality Disorder by providing skills to help manage intense emotion and reduce self-destructive behaviours. Its structured approach empowers individuals to build a life worth living while minimizing emotional suffering.
​Self-harm and Suicidal Behaviour
DBT focuses on helping individuals recognize the emotional and situational triggers for self-harming behaviour which allows for early intervention. It assists individuals in acquiring the skills to regulate emotion, tolerate distress and find effective solutions to problems that contribute to urges to self-harm. Creating a safety plan and strengthening support networks is integral in managing harmful behaviours.
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Relationship Issues
Through assertiveness training, active listening, and boundary setting, individuals learn how to develop, maintain, and navigate relationships with increased self-awareness, respect, and intentionality.
Depression and Anxiety
DBT can help address the emotional and cognitive aspects that contribute to the maintenance of these conditions.
What Should I Expect in Session?
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Build Fundamental Skills
One crucial element of DBT is developing fundamental coping skills. Clients work on enhancing their emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Emotion regulation skills help individuals manage intense emotions, distress tolerance skills assist in handling difficult situations without impulsive reactions, and interpersonal effectiveness skills improve communication and relationship management.
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Targeted Problem-Solving
DBT also emphasizes application of skills. With assistance, clients identify specific issues or challenges they wish to address. With the guidance of their therapist, they apply the skills acquired in session to these real-life problems. This stage emphasizes practical problem-solving, goal-setting, and the application of coping strategies to daily life. Evaluation of skill acquisition and implementation is continued.
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Achieving a Life Worth Living
One critical goal of DBT is to help clients create a life worth living. It involves finding a balance between acceptance and change, where individuals embrace who they are while striving for personal growth and well-being. Clients work on living in the present moment, setting and pursuing values-based goals, and building a life that aligns with their core values and aspirations.