Dialectical Behavior Therapy Fact Sheet Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

Studies show that it’s a good way to learn to manage your intense emotions. DBT requires a big commitment, so make sure you find a specially-trained therapist whom you can trust. Dialectical behavioral therapy is a specific type of psychotherapy that requires additional training by mental health professionals. Consider finding a therapist who is certified in DBT when seeking this type of treatment. Ask your primary healthcare provider for recommendations, or search online to find a therapist in your area.

What are the Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?

DBT teaches that accepting your current reality doesn’t mean you like or agree with it—it just means you understand what it is. This acceptance helps you acknowledge what needs to change, since you can’t work to change something if you don’t accept that it exists in the first place. Keep in mind that just because you start a certain mode of therapy doesn’t mean you have to stick to that type. You may have to work with multiple therapists and try out a few methods before finding what helps you the most. Several studies and organizations support DBT’s efficacy in the treatment of BPD.

What is dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)?

It is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), another type of psychotherapy that helps people understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interrelated. Linehan found that standard CBT often led patients to become hostile or to abandon therapeutic programs altogether, because the patients tended to experience the programs’ emphasis on life changes as invalidating. DBT is one of several forms of psychotherapy that were developed in what is known as the “third wave” of CBT programs. These treatments focused on the importance of expressing acceptance of patient experiences rather than avoiding or condemning them. DBT is unique in that it embraces the dialectics of this treatment—that is, the conflict between accepting all feelings and behaviours without judgment while still attempting to change them.

Types of therapy: CBT, ACT, DBT and IFS ReachOut Australia

Not only are personal skills taught in DBT, but skills for interpersonal relationships are also emphasized. DBT was developed for people with borderline personality disorder. But it can help people with other mental health problems, including suicidal behaviour, self-harm, substance use, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and eating disorders.

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Checking with your primary care physician, other therapists, or your local college, university, or medical center could all be helpful options.

For example, it’s important to accept where you are and strive to grow. It’s important to recognize that you’re doing your best and keep trying. In DBT, you identify what this kind of life looks like for you and learn the skills to make it happen. “These types of statements validate the person’s feelings and convey that you’re listening and open to helping, if that’s what they want,” says Dr. Aguirre. Another problem is that there aren’t many DBT-trained providers in less populated parts of the country. Online DBT therapy may be an option, although its effectiveness hasn’t been studied.

• Intense emotions and rapid mood changes can make it hard to relate to others.
• These sessions are usually once a week and run for the duration of the therapy.
• Checking with your primary care physician, other therapists, or your local college, university, or medical center could all be helpful options.
• Radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO-DBT), meanwhile, is a form of DBT meant to help people whose self-destructive behaviors are the result of overcontrol.
• A DBT-trained therapist would instead acknowledge that the person’s thoughts make sense, given who they are and their experiences.
• It teaches you new skills to cope with day-to-day life, and finds new behaviours to replace harmful ones.

The primary goal of DBT is to help patients build a mentally healthy life dialectical behavioral therapy by improving their ability to manage emotions. DBT is an evidence-based treatment for many mental health conditions. In DBT, you learn to manage intense emotions, cope with distress, and cultivate healthy relationships.

• Many types of therapy are available to address specific concerns, one of the most popular being dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
• The primary goal of DBT is to help patients build a mentally healthy life by improving their ability to manage emotions.
• Mindfulness can go a long way, but it isn’t always enough, especially in moments of crisis.
• Think of it more like a teaching and learning session in a classroom setting.
• Recent research further supports the effectiveness of DBT across diagnoses.

Individual therapy

• Borderline personality disorder is a condition that affects how you see yourself and how you relate to others.
• This therapy introduces techniques that can help patients redirect those negative thoughts.
• Several studies and organizations support DBT’s efficacy in the treatment of BPD.
• Your therapist may also review some DBT tools and resources that you might use in future sessions.
• When you are able to recognize and cope with intense negative emotions (for example, anger), it reduces your emotional vulnerability and helps you have more positive emotional experiences.
• DBT is now considered the gold standard form of psychotherapy for people with this condition, according to research.

Lorandini adds that some DBT programs offer virtual therapy, which may be helpful if a person lives in a remote area or has certain responsibilities that make in-person therapy challenging. In DBT, dialectical means two opposing ideas being true at the same time. Patients who have all-or-nothing or black-and-white attitudes are sometimes unable to think in other ways. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. Linehan et al. (1991) conducted the first randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of DBT on women with BPD.

Treatment stages

If you’re struggling with a mental health condition, it’s always best to seek out the help of a qualified mental health professional. Research also suggests that DBT may also be useful in the treatment of children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. As with all forms of therapy, it is also advisable to find a DBT therapist with whom you feel comfortable. Look for someone with whom you can establish clarity of communication. It refers to the idea that two opposite things can be true at the same time.