What to Know About DBT Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy, also known as DBT, was a resource developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan in the 70s. It may not be as commonly known and understood as other methods, but still has effectiveness nonetheless.
So what exactly is DBT? We will dive a bit deeper into what it is and what you should know.
The Foundation of DBT
DBT is a type of talk therapy that incorporates components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and has been modified to help those who grapple with their intense emotions. The original use for DBT was with those suffering from borderline personality disorder. Since then, it has been adapted for use with ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, and substance abuse, among other things.
The process behind DBT serves to help individuals accept their reality, understand where behaviors are stemming from, and make changes to better improve their quality of life. During the course of DBT, you will analyze any specific trends in behavior, common thought patterns, and unhealthy coping strategies.
DBT Techniques
DBT in an evidenced-based approach to treating mental health conditions. There are four core skills used in DBT sessions. Those include mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Mindfulness works on being able to focus on the present moment and often includes things like meditation, breathwork, and attending to certain aspects of your day to day routine. Distress tolerance helps to teach coping strategies without turning to unhealthy behaviors. Emotion regulation involves being able to manage your emotions, even when they feel rather intense. Interpersonal effectiveness aims to help you to navigate any relationships in a healthy manner.
How Does DBT Therapy Operate?
Group Sessions
While many other therapy sessions are typically one on one with your therapist, DBT can often involve group sessions. Not to be mistaken for group therapy, group sessions will allow one therapist to work on different skills with multiple individuals as a group. There isn’t a focus on mutual sharing to help each other heal.
The skills addressed will focus on one of four areas: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Individual Sessions
During these sessions, you and your therapist will work together in one of the four focus areas. You will assess your learned behaviors and adapt those to better face life challenges. When you're met with a personal road block, it can be easy to fall into a pattern of negative thinking. Instead, DBT will challenge you to focus on positive thoughts and feelings to reduce the distress you feel with the situation.
Phone Sessions
Additionally, DBT can occur over the phone with your therapist. A simple call can offer guidance during a challenging situation. It allows for real time coaching on managing symptoms that may be triggered.
Stages of Treatment
DBT can be broken down into four stages of treatment.
The first stage will focus on the behaviors that are deemed the most serious or self-destructive.
The second stage will address any factors impacting quality of life.
By stage three, your focus will shift to self-esteem issues and problems with personal relationships.
Stage four then helps to improve quality of life.
Benefit of DBT
DBT is big on improving quality of life and increasing positivity. Through your sessions, you can not only learn new life skills, but improve your overall mental health. You don’t want to hide your true feelings. Rather than push them deep down inside, you learn how to shift your response to them.
Aside from that, you can learn how to tackle challenging situations with healthy coping strategies. It can teach you to set boundaries and lean on your support system when needed.
If you would like to learn more about how dialectical behaviour therapy can help you, contact us to schedule a session today.