What Is DBT?
DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dialectic means two opposites can both be true. For example, if a loved one did something that was hurtful to you, you can be angry with them, maybe even hate them, and still love them. Balancing two things helps keep us from experiencing emotions in extremes. Sometimes this is as simple as changing “OR” into “AND”. Instead of being happy OR sad, we can be happy AND sad. It’s hard to stay calm when you’re thinking in extremes, and dialectics allow us to stay balanced by noticing two truths at once.
In DBT we try to think about acceptance and change. Acceptance and change are opposites. It may seem like you can’t accept yourself while working to change yourself. Accepting who you are while making changes allows you to be compassionate with yourself about who you are and where you are right now, while giving yourself the ability and opportunity to grow. For example, you can accept that you’re unhappy and stressed with your current job AND you can take steps to change that job and make it more satisfying, or to change jobs all together. You can accept that you’re doing the best you can AND you can do better and try harder. The way we learn to be dialectical (accept ourselves and to make the changes we want) is by using coping skills. These coping skills fall in to 4 categories:
1. Mindfulness: these skills help you focus on the present moment without worrying about the future or feeling shame or regret about the past.
2. Distress Tolerance: these skills help you learn to bear with uncomfortable or painful experiences more effectively, rather than reacting in ways that could ultimately make things worse.
3. Emotion Regulation: these skills help us to have more control over our emotions. Sometimes emotions feel uncomfortable and overwhelming. Emotion regulation skills help us to feel those painful emotions less intensely or change them altogether.
4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: these skills help us to create new relationships, maintain relationships that are important to us, and end relationships that are destructive while maintaining our own self-respect.
Who benefits from DBT?
DBT was originally developed for people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and it is still the therapy of choice for people with this diagnosis. However, since DBT was created it has been found treat many other groups of people effectively including:
Those who struggle with intense emotions that feel out of control
Impulsive or self-destructive behavior (like self-harming, gambling, excessive shopping, etc.)
Depression
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Substance use
The DBT approach focuses on making changes in your life, while accepting who you are through the 4 core modules: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness. Several therapists at The Counseling Collective are DBT-informed for individual work. These therapists meet with each other 1-2 times per month for consultation. Meeting as a group allows therapists to discuss cases from a DBT-approach to ensure optimal client care.
A DBT-informed session with a DBT-informed therapist would include:
- Providing education and information on coping skills specific to client’s needs
- Validating and accepting of all emotions felt
- Therapist accepting client, while challenging client to make desired changes
- DBT-informed therapist are dialectical in their understanding of client and try to remind client to be dialectical in their own thinking
- Therapist is nonjudgmental of client experiences, thinking, and behavior, and encourages client to try to be nonjudgmental as well
Ready to get started with DBT-informed therapy? Here’s who can help:
Kelsa sees clients at both of our locations, as well as online.
Shanna works with clients at both of our locations, as well as online.
Taylor sees clients at our downtown Lancaster office, as well as online.
Alyssa sees clients at our East Petersburg office, as well as online.
Laney sees clients at our East Petersburg office, as well as online.
Our interns, Rachel and Kerri, see clients at both of our locations as well as online.
If you’re looking to change some of your behaviors, emotions, thinking, and relationship patterns that get in the way of living the life you want, DBT might be a good fit for you! Please contact us to schedule an appointment. You can do so by filling out our Schedule Appointment form on our website or call 717-723-8040 to schedule with our Client Coordinators.