Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that was originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). Over time, it has also been adapted and used to treat a variety of other mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders.
DBT focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas:
- Mindfulness: The practice of being fully aware and present in the moment. This is a core aspect of DBT, helping individuals to accept and tolerate the emotions they feel.
- Distress Tolerance: Techniques for tolerating painful events, urges, and emotions when they cannot be changed. This includes understanding and accepting distress, and finding ways to survive and tolerate the moment without engaging in harmful behaviors.
- Emotion Regulation: Strategies to manage and change intense emotions that are causing problems in a person’s life. This involves understanding the function of emotions, reducing vulnerability to emotion mind, and increasing positive emotional events.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: Techniques for improving communication, assertiveness, and relationship skills. This involves strategies for asking for what one needs, saying no, and coping with interpersonal conflict.
DBT is distinct for its focus on acceptance and change. It emphasizes the dialectical process of balancing acceptance of reality as it is, with efforts to change and improve one’s life. The therapy is typically structured and includes both individual therapy sessions and group skills training classes. The skills taught in DBT are practical and geared towards helping individuals cope with sudden, intense surges of emotion, improving relationships, and living a more mindful, peaceful life.
