DBT Explained

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy 

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive, evidenced based, cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. Initially designed to help individuals who struggle with borderline personality disorder, suicidality and other life threatening behaviors, DBT has now been shown to help many common mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, addiction, and difficulties with emotion regulation. One of the primary goals of DBT is to help each client build a life, they deem, worth living. 

There are four main components to DBT:  

 1. Weekly individual sessions with a DBT trained therapist

 2. Weekly participation in skills training

 3. In the moment phone coaching to help generalize skills 

4. DBT Consultation team for therapists

DBT teaches several skills including: 

Mindfulness: how to focus on the present moment in a non-judgmental way 

Distress tolerance: how to tolerate stressful situations without making things worse

Emotional Regulation: how to keep emotions from fluctuating too much or too intensely

Interpersonal Effectiveness: how to maintain healthy relationship

Weekly DBT Skills Group

A DBT skills group uses a psycho-educational class format where the emphasis is on learning and practicing behavioral skills. These skills include mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.  Skills are taught in  a series of three modules, each lasting between 6-8 weeks.   The first two weeks of each module cover and review mindfulness, which is the foundation for learning all the other skills.   The following six to eight weeks rotate through each of the remaining modules.  The course usually runs for six  months, with the opportunity  for new clients to join  in between  modules  during mindfulness.

Current offering of groups:

Mondays 5:30-7pm 

(currently on-line)

National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder

www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org

Provide education, raise public awareness and understanding, decrease stigma, promote research, and enhance the quality of life of those individuals and families affected by Borderline Personality Disorder and/or related problems, including emotion dysregulation. 

Family Connections 

www. borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/family-connections/ 

Family  Connections is a free evidenced-based, 12 class course that meets for 2 hours and requires 1-2 hours of homework/practice weekly.  It provides education, skills training, and support for people who are supporting a sufferer of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)/Emotion Dysregulation (ED) or BPD/ED traits..  

Behavioral Tech a Linehan Institute Training Company www.behavioraltech.org/research/how-dbt-helps

DBT Podcast Series

 www.charlieswenson.com/podcasts