Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
What is DBT?
DBT is an evidence-based talking therapy with its primary aim is to give people the skills to regulate their emotions, handle stress in a healthy manner, and improve relationships, and live mindfully. Originally developed to treat people with borderline personality disorder, DBT is now used to treat a variety of mental conditions and is believed to be especially helpful for people with seemingly uncontrollable, intense negative emotions or those who may incline toward self-harm. The skills focus on techniques for both ‘change’ and ‘acceptance’ and on balancing the two. The ‘dialectical’ part of the therapy is about exploring and holding different points of view. It assumes that in any given situation there is no one single truth.
What can DBT help with?
DBT is helpful in helping people cope with the symptoms of many other conditions, including:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Self-harm
- Suicide attempts
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol problems
- Eating problems
The aim of DBT is to help you:
- Understand and accept your difficult feelings
- Learn skills to manage these feelings
- Become able to make positive changes in your life
The treatment focuses on teaching:
- Core Mindfulness: A way of being that helps you focus your attention and live your life in the present, rather than being distracted by worries about the past or the future.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: Learning how to get your needs met and dealing with conflict in relationships, whilst maintaining your self-respect.
- Emotion Regulation: Learning skills to help you to manage intense emotional states and destructive behaviour like self-harm.
- Distress Tolerance: Tolerating and surviving crises and accepting life as it is at the moment.
If you think Dialectical Behavioural Therapy may be the method you require, consult with me today to discuss your needs.
