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TREATMENT

We are dedicated to providing the best possible treatment to our clients

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD, ABPP. It emphasizes individual psychotherapy and group skills training classes to help people learn and use new skills and strategies to develop a life that they experience as worth living. DBT skills include skills for mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

DBT was originally developed to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is now recognized as the gold standard psychological treatment for this population. In addition, research has shown that it is effective in treating a wide range of other disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders.

There are four modules in skills training:

  • Mindfulness: the practice of being fully aware and present in this one moment
  • Distress Tolerance: how to tolerate pain in difficult situations, not change it
  • Interpersonal Effectiveness: how to ask for what you want and say no while maintaining self-respect and relationships with others
  • Emotion Regulation: how to change emotions that you want to change

    • Why does DBT teach skills?

    Problematic behaviors evolve as a way to cope with a situation or attempt to solve a problem. While these behaviors might provide temporary relief or a short-term solution, they often are not effective in the long-term. DBT assumes that clients are doing they best they can, AND they need to learn new behaviors in all relevant contexts. DBT helps enhance a client’s capabilities by teaching behavioral skills in areas like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help people develop effective ways to navigate situations that arise in everyday life or manage specific challenges.

    Life History Questionnaire


    Initial interview and Mental Status


    Anxiety assessment protocols


    Identification of problem behavior re-inforcement

    Changing behavioral or old coping skills into new positive outcome

    Learning Dear Man

    Acceptance of one's self

    Allowing feelings to be felt, but changing the reaction of how we cope with them

    Mindfulness

    Emotion Regulation

    Distress Tolerance

    Interpersonal Effectiveness

    Conflict Resolution

    You don't have to fight by yourself. We can help you.