What is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)?
What is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a modified version of cognitive behaviour therapy. Originally intended to treat BPD, borderline personality disorder, DBT has been adapted to treat many mental health illnesses (Chapman, 2006). The main goals are to equip and teach people how to be in the moment, to handle stress in a health way, to regulate their emotions, and to improve their overall relationships with others (Schimelpfening, 2023).
What can DBT help with?
Mindfulness: One major benefit to DBT is the enhancement of mindfulness skills. Being mindful can help to focus you on the present moment, “living in the moment.” Being in the present moment allows you to pay attention to what is happening both internally and externally to yourself (Schimelpfening, 2023). This includes your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and impulses, and then using your five senses to understand what is going on around you. It allows you to slow down and focus on healthy coping skills even when you are in the middle of experiencing something intense (Shea, 2021; Schimelpfening, 2023).
Distress tolerance: DBT can also help with distress tolerance, which is the process of learning how to cope with experiencing crises. This is especially helpful when the situation is unable to change; it is accepting what is versus what it should be. DBT teaches you to accept your current situation and yourself; and is taught with techniques such as distraction, improving the moment, and self-soothing (Shea, 2021; Schimelpfening, 2023).
Interpersonal effectiveness: helps with relationships and for you to become more assertive when necessary; for example, that can look like expressing your needs and saying no while still maintaining the relationship as positive and healthy. The goal is to communicate more effectively and to respect yourself and others. (Shea, 2021; Schimelpfening, 2023).
Emotion regulation: DBT can help with managing emotions so that they don’t control our thoughts and behaviours. It lets you handle your negative feelings in a more effective way. The skills learned help you to identify, name, and change your emotions (Schimelpfening, 2023; Jones et al., 2023).
Stages of DBT
There are 4 stages of treatment in DBT.
Stage one is to have more control over the intense emotions. The most serious and intense behaviours are addressed in stage one (Schimelpfening, 2023; Center for Addiction and Mental Health, 2024).
Stage two is to address issues that affect your quality of life. This can be interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation skills, or having a better ability to tolerate distress (Schimelpfening, 2023; Center for Addiction and Mental Health, 2024).
Stage three is to focus on issues that are related to self-esteem and interpersonal relationships (Schimelpfening, 2023).
Stage four is now focused on helping people get the most from their lives; this can include finding ways to experience more happiness, building better relationships, or pursuing goals or dreams (Schimelpfening, 2023; Center for Addiction and Mental Health, 2024).
What can DBT treat?
DBT is great for treating BPD, as well as bipolar disorder, ADHD, eating disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, OCD, and major depressive disorder (Jones et al., 2023; Center for Addiction and Mental Health, 2024).
If you are interested in working with a therapist who has experience in DBT, Lolita and Natalie would be great choices. You can contact us to book a free consultation at admin@vaughanpsychotherapist.com or call 647-267-9853.
References
Chapman A. L. (2006). Dialectical behavior therapy: current indications and unique elements. Psychiatry, 3(9), 62–68.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). (2024). camh: Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved June 28, 2024, from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/dialectical-behaviour-therapy
Jones, B. M., Umer, M., Kittur, M. E., Finkelstein, O., Xue, S., Dimick, M. K., Ortiz, A., Goldstein, B. I., Mulsant, B. H., &; Husain, M. I. (2023). A systematic review on the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy for improving mood symptoms in bipolar disorders. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 11(6). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40345-023-00288-6
Schimelpfening, N. (2023, November 2). Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Definition, Techniques, and benefits. verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/dialectical-behavior-therapy-1067402
Shea, L.-M. (2021). The Courage to Be: Using DBT Skills to Choose Who to Be in Uncertainty. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 61(2), 260-274. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167820950887