DBT is an evidence-based, modern behavioral therapy that helps people who feel overwhelmed by intense emotions, who experience strained relationships, and who seek an improved quality of life.

The purpose of the program is to:

• Identify problem behaviors that cause distress to you and your loved ones
• Identify the antecedents to such problem behaviors that make them difficult to control or avoid.
• Identify the consequences that reinforce such behaviors and make them difficult to stop.
• Link antecedents, behaviors and consequences.
• Provide skills, solutions and strategies to replace all these links with more effective behaviors and move toward a life worth living.

What is meant by “more effective behaviors”?

The easy part is telling yourself to “stop doing it,” the hard part is knowing what to do instead. DBT teaches what to do instead (skills acquisition). You will practice using skills and be able to use skills in more and more complex and varied situations (skills generalization).

DBT Skills

There are four modules of skills taught in DBT:

• Mindfulness – Non-judgmental awareness of the present moment.
• Distress Tolerance – Getting through an emotional crisis without making things worse.
• Emotion Regulation – Decreasing the intensity and duration of unwanted emotions.
• Interpersonal Effectiveness – Getting one’s needs met in relationships without damaging one’s self-esteem, and without damaging the relationship.

To schedule an initial assessment, please call or text 346-213-2711 or visit the contact page.

Who does DBT help?

Quite simply, everyone. But DBT is known to be very effective for those struggling with very intense emotions—whether you have a diagnosis or not. Research shows that DBT has also been used successfully to treat people experiencing anxiety, depression, bulimia, binge eating, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse.

DBT therapists specialize in Cluster B and Cluster C personality disorders, and mood disorders. Common diagnoses treated with DBT include the following mood disorders: depressions, dysthymia, bipolar, cyclothymic, and disruptive mood dysregulartion. Personality disorders include borderline (BPD), obsessive-compulsive (OCPD), anti-social , historionic, narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent.