Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a type of therapy that helps people manage their emotions, cope with stress, and improve their relationships with others. It was originally designed to help people who didn’t see much improvement with other types of therapy.
Here’s a breakdown of what DBT involves:
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Living in the moment: DBT teaches you how to focus on the present, or “live in the moment”. This helps you pay attention to what’s happening inside you (your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and impulses) and what’s happening around you.
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Coping with stress: DBT helps you develop healthy ways to deal with stress. This can involve learning new skills to handle difficult situations.
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Regulating emotions: DBT can help you understand and manage your emotions better. This means learning how to respond to emotional situations in a more balanced way.
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Improving relationships: DBT can help you improve your relationships with others. This might involve learning how to communicate more effectively or how to handle conflict better.
DBT can include both individual therapy (one-on-one sessions with a therapist) and group therapy (where you learn new skills alongside others).
Benefits of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
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Emotion Regulation: DBT helps individuals understand and manage their emotions better.
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Stress Management: It teaches new skills to cope with stress and handle difficult situations.
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Improved Relationships: DBT can help improve relationships with others by teaching effective communication and conflict resolution skills.
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Reduced Harmful Behaviors: DBT has been proven to reduce self-harm behavior, anger, drug and alcohol misuse.
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Improved Mental Health: It can decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress.
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Increased Self-Worth and Self-Respect: DBT can help increase an individual’s self-worth and self-respect.
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Reduced Hospitalization: DBT can lead to fewer days of inpatient hospitalization.
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Effective for Various Conditions: DBT has been effective for treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.