IMAG000-2Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a therapeutic methodology developed by Marsha Linehan, a psychology researcher at the University of Washington.

DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques with Mindfulness and Acceptance strategies taken from Buddhist Meditation* practices.

Each of the four modules concentrates on a different strategy to support self-awareness and emotional skills. Through the modules, clients can develop techniques to increase awareness of their personal triggers and responses, and the understanding to accept and manage them.

* The concept of mindfulness and meditative exercises used to teach DBT are simply derived from traditional Buddhist practice; the meditations used in DBT do not involve any religious or metaphysical concepts.

Initially, DBT was used to treat patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. However, DBT can be used to effectively treat a variety of mental health challenges, including mood disorders, self-injury, and other diagnoses.

The Modules

  • Mindfulness
    • Mindfulness is the capacity to pay attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment.
    • It is the foundation for the other skills taught in DBT.
    • Individuals will learn to accept and tolerate the powerful emotions they feel.
  • Interpersonal Effectiveness
    • Includes effective strategies for asking for what one needs, saying no, and coping with interpersonal conflict.
    • Similar to skills taught in assertiveness and interpersonal problem-solving classes.
  • Emotion Regulation: DBT recognizes that people with mood issues tend to be emotionally intense; anger, frustration, depression, and anxiety are common.
    • The Emotion Regulation module skills include:
      • Increasing mindfulness to current emotions
      • Identifying and labeling emotions
      • Identifying obstacles to changing emotions
      • Reducing vulnerability
      • Increasing positive emotional events
      • Taking opposite action
      • Applying distress tolerance techniques
  • Distress Tolerance: Many current approaches to mental health treatment focus on the aftermath of distressing events and circumstances. DBT supports accepting, finding meaning for, and tolerating distress in the moment.
    • DBT emphasizes learning to bear pain skillfully.
    • Distress Tolerance skills constitute a natural development from mindfulness skills.
    • They have to do with the ability to accept, in a non-evaluative and non-judgmental fashion, both oneself and the current situation. This does not mean that it is one of approval or resignation.
    • The goal is to become capable of calmly recognizing negative situations and their impact, rather than becoming overwhelmed or hiding from them. This allows the individual to make wise decisions about whether and how to take action, rather than falling into destructive behaviors.

Individual DBT Counseling For Adults And Teenagers

DBT is commonly taught for 26 weeks in a group setting. The traditional idea was to learn DBT skills in a group and then work with an individual therapist to better understand and implement these skills into daily life.  The problem is that most individual therapists are not trained in DBT, therefore creating a missing link between the skills that people learn in group and having the support and guidance to be able to apply these skills to their to lives. Furthermore, in a group setting – usually toward the end of the day – people, especially teens, are tired, easily distracted by each other and many struggle to maintain the attention needed to learn these important skills.

Through my many years of teaching DBT skills, I’ve learned that using the DBT approach is most effective in individual therapy sessions. Through individual counseling, I can tailor sessions to meet your or your teenager’s specific needs, provide weekly coaching, help you or your teen apply DBT skills to daily life and offer support, ideas and strategies to you or your teen in order to make important and effective life decisions and changes.

I invite you to call me me for a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss your or your teenagers specific situation and needs and to answer any questions you have about Dialectical Behavior Therapy and my practice.