Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy and type of cognitive-behavioral therapy originally developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder, self-harming behaviors and suicidal behaviors. Since its development in the late 1980s, DBT has been adapted to other populations including adolescents and families, individuals with substance use disorders, and mood disorders. The goal of DBT is to build a life worth living. Our DBT therapists work as a team with clients to reach the established goals in treatment.
Research has shown DBT is effective with reducing suicidal behavior, non-suicidal self-injury (NSIB), psychiatric hospitalizations, treatment drop-outs, and anger, and improving social and global functioning. Current research can be found at: www.linehaninstitute.org.
DBT is composed of the following skills modules: Mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and walking the middle path (adolescents only). More information on the skills modules can be found below:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Walking the Middle Path (adolescent group only):
This module is focused on avoiding parent/teen extremes, learning how to validate (understand) others, and how to increase behaviors you want, while decreasing behaviors you don’t want.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Distress Tolerance
Our DBT program services adults and adolescents 13 and older, with a history of emotional instability, intense, unstable relationships, impulsive behaviors, including self-harm and suicidal impulses. Additionally, DBT works with clients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, and a history of trauma.
We provide adherent DBT treatment for adults, adolescents, and young adults. An adherent DBT treatment program consists of weekly structured individual therapy sessions, group skills training, skills coaching, and consultation team. You can read more about each part of the program below:
Structured Individual Therapy
Skills Coaching
Group Skills Training
Consultation Team
Friends and Family DBT Skill Group
The DBT Family Skills Training (DBT-FST) adaptation is a family program build on the DBT principals. Through a series of sessions, family members and partners will learn skills to better cope and support their loved one struggling with chronic emotional dysregulation.
The Family Skills Training has four goals:
- Educate family members on different aspects of Borderline
Personality Disorder - Teach family members communication styles to create a
mutually validating environment - Help family members become less judgmental toward each other
- Provide a safe forum for family members to discuss issues like
self-destructive thoughts and behaviors, rejection, anger,
sadness, and suicidal thoughts
This program uses DBT skills adapted from the six- month DBT skills training for individuals struggling with BPD and issues of emotional dysregulation.