Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of psychotherapy that is based on the idea that two opposing things can be true at once. For example, you might feel excited about starting a new job while still feeling sad about leaving your old one. Or you might love someone deeply while still feeling hurt by them or needing to set healthy boundaries when they’re around.
Learning to think of situations in this framework is crucial for enhancing the brain’s flexibility. Instead of falling into rigid, all-or-nothing thought patterns (“either I love this job or I hate it”), you can think about life in a more nuanced way. You can move from an “either/or” mindset to a “both/and” mindset.
Doing so can help you manage the complexity of your emotions, accept what you cannot change, and ultimately “build a life worth living,” which is the goal of DBT as described by its founder, Marsha Linehan. To help clients achieve this worthwhile life, DBT focuses on four areas of skill-building: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
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How Effective Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
DBT is an evidenced based form of treatment backed by research and proven to be effective at treating depression, anxiety, and many other mood disorders. Studies have found that the benefits of DBT often last long after therapy is complete, enabling clients to sustain their improvements for years.*
What makes DBT so effective? DBT provides interventions for regulating the intense or difficult emotions that occur when a person is anxious or depressed. It focuses on striking a balance between acceptance and change—which is the whole point of the “dialectic.” It teaches clients to accept the way they feel, enabling them to focus on tolerating and managing their feelings, while still working toward changing what is within their control.
In this way, DBT is more powerful than other approaches that focus solely on reducing symptoms of distress or regulating them—it aims to help clients achieve both.
How Does Dialectical Behavior Therapy Work?
DBT is very action oriented. Sessions concentrate on helping you shift any unhelpful or unsafe behaviors you have used to cope in the past and move toward more effective strategies.
For example, if you grew up in a home where criticism was rampant and you didn’t feel safe being your true self, you may have developed strategies for hiding certain aspects of your personality. Although this probably helped you cope as a child, it may be holding you back from finding fulfillment in relationships today.
In Dialectical Behavior Therapy, you and I will validate the useful role that such coping strategies served in the past while working on developing healthier strategies for your life today. Outlined below are the four main areas of skill-building:
Mindfulness—Through the practice of mindfulness exercises, you will learn to slow things down, experience the present moment without judgment, and accept things as they are. Doing so can help you increase your self-awareness and connect to your “Wise Mind.”
Distress tolerance—I will teach you skills for managing crisis situations without making them worse, reducing any inclination to act on unhelpful urges.
Emotional regulation—You and I will focus on the complexity of your emotions: their purpose, how they work, and how to regulate them when you feel overwhelmed.
Interpersonal effectiveness—By honing your interpersonal skills, you can establish healthier boundaries, communicate your needs more effectively, and maintain self-respect by being truthful and sticking to your values.
Throughout the course of DBT therapy, you and I will concentrate on integrating these skills into your everyday life until they become second nature and you are better able to stay grounded when stressors arise.
Why Mixing DBT With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is So Effective
Dialectical Behavior Therapy provides an excellent complement to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Both are highly effective at treating symptoms of depression and anxiety, yet they both operate from different frameworks.
While CBT skills encourage a more mindful awareness of how negative thought patterns and behaviors trigger depression and anxiety, DBT skills provide you with a set of practical and effective skills for regulating the complexities of your emotions and relationships. CBT focuses on the why behind your challenges; DBT teaches you how to work through them by implementing new skills and strategies.
For over a decade now, I have been using DBT and CBT to help people overcome feelings of hopelessness and navigate their circumstances in helpful and effective ways. I’ve seen both approaches bring powerful healing and meaningful change into the lives of my clients, and I want the same for you, too.
Improve Your Relationships And Boost Your Mental Health With DBT
If you want to live a more mindful, grounded, and value-driven life, I encourage you to pursue Dialectical Behavior Therapy with me. To get started, you can email me, fill out the contact form , or call me at 650-675-2604. I look forward to hearing from you!
*https://dbt-uk.com/stats-around-dbt-evidence-success-rates-and-impact/