What Is DBT?
DBT is a mindfulness-based type of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s. It was originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). Over the years, it has also found wider application as a treatment for mental health conditions that share some of the same symptoms as BPD.
DBT emphasizes the psychosocial aspects of treatment and focuses on social factors and individual thoughts and behaviors. It is believed that certain people are predisposed to experiencing more intense emotional reactions to life situations. DBT is oriented around practical skills that can help them manage their emotions more effectively and identify negative self-talk and self-defeating behaviors. Together, the patient and therapist work as a team to identify and change these mental, emotional, and behavioral patterns via healthy coping skills.
The Benefits of DBT
DBT is effective at treating certain mental health symptoms in particular—more specifically, difficulties in managing emotions, interpersonal and relationship challenges, and maladaptive coping behaviors like disordered eating and suicidal thoughts. Our consultation team of DBT therapists will determine whether you could benefit from this type of therapy. It aims to increase skills and aptitude in the following areas or “modules” (in DBT vocabulary):
- Mindfulness – Mindfulness is the act of being present with all one’s senses to what is happening in the here and now. Mindfulness-based exercises teach how to non-judgmentally observe and attend to your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in the moment so that, over time, you can increase self-awareness and improve decision-making abilities.
- Distress tolerance – This term refers to one’s capacity to weather a crisis without making it worse through self-harm or other negative behaviors. The premise is that while you may not be able to control many of the stressful things that happen to you, you can learn to manage your response to these things in healthier ways using the various techniques of this module.
- Emotion regulation – The skills and education in this area are intended to help you manage your emotional triggers in healthier ways through positive self-talk, constructive behaviors, and other coping mechanisms.
- Interpersonal effectiveness – In this module, patients learn how to express their needs in appropriate ways, set healthy boundaries, and manage conflict, among other relational skills.
These four areas of focus in DBT might also be thought of as its core benefits. With practice and eventual mastery, they can improve the quality of life for those who struggle with managing emotions, maintaining relationships, and/or thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Group Therapy Sessions in DBT
Group therapy plays a very important role in DBT but is not what many people have in mind when they think of psychotherapy. Unlike talk therapy, for example, DBT sessions are highly structured with the goal of reviewing and reinforcing the DBT tools and techniques introduced in group therapy.
Group therapy functions much like a small, supportive class, where patients get to learn about the four modules and related tools and techniques. They will be assigned a homework assignment for the week that encourages them to apply one of these tools and techniques to a real-life situation and then reflect on how it goes.
More About DBT and DBT Outcomes
Research has shown that DBT is effective at reducing negative behaviors and eliciting positive change. Through the acquisition of life skills that increase mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, many people have been successful at managing even more serious mental health conditions. For more information about our DBT track and to explore whether you may be eligible, contact us today.
