Dialectical Behavior Therapy

In simple terms, DBT is a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Techniques and Mindfulness. It is a skill building approach which teaches specific skills and strategies to help someone find more effective ways to cope with distress, symptoms and issues in their life. The idea is to learn ways to change avoidance based behaviors that tend to be less effective and counterproductive (self injurious behaviors, suicidal thinking and behaviors, substance use, extreme emotional outburst, ect.) to more mindfulness based behaviors of acceptance and tolerance.

There are four skill building areas that DBT focuses on:

• mindfulness
• distress tolerance
• interpersonal effectiveness
• emotion regulation

A DBT therapist will be like a teacher, coach and therapist combined. Helping the individual label, understand and tolerate their emotions, then find effective ways to manage the emotions and the situation to the best of their ability without depending on avoidance and destructive behaviors.

The most effective treatment for DBT is both group and an individual treatment combined. Though the skills taught in DBT can be useful for anybody. It is natural for a person to struggle with tendencies to avoid pain and alternately depend on behaviors that continue to create more pain in our lives. DBT’s skill building approaches help to break these behaviors and help the person find and feel more peace and acceptance.

Further Reading:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training

DBT Self Help

 

 

Last updated: January 25, 2010

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