Below are some common questions we hear from people about DBT. Please also refer to our video blog and recommended readings for further DBT tips and suggestions.
What is DBT anyway?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) was developed by Marsha Linehan and her colleagues in the late 1980s. DBT was born out of the recognition that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alone was not effective, specifically when working with individuals with Borderline Personality disorder.
Everything has opposing opposites, or “dialects.” Change occurs when one opposing force is stronger than the other. DBT consists of three basic assumptions about dialects:
- All things are interconnected
- Change is constant and inevitable
- Opposites can be integrated to form a closer approximation to the truth.
Working with these dialects in DBT we assume that people are doing the best they can at any given time, while on the opposing side people can also do more and do better.
Individuals who participate in DBT are taught how to effectively create change using four main strategies:
- Mindfulness (Living in the moment)
- Distress Tolerance (techniques to cope with and survive crisis)
- Interpersonal Effectiveness (keeping relationships positive and healthy while remaining assertive.
- Emotion Regulation (coping with negative emotions and reducing emotional vulnerabilities)
Who Benefits From DBT?
While DBT was created to help facilitate change for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder, research demonstrates the models benefit a variety of other struggles as well. These include but are not limited to; Bipolar disorder, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, anger management, and many others.
If you would like to learn more about DBT or wonder if it is the right fit for you, please reach out to us to schedule an initial appointment today.
How Does DBT Work at Phoenix?
While many of our therapists use DBT modalities during their individual treatments, if your therapist feels it is a good fit for you, they may also recommend our DBT Skills Group.
Our skills group meets weekly and is and in addition to your individual therapy appointments. Here, you will learn the skills training needed to create effective change and utilize the core concepts of DBT.
Current Skills Group Information
Our current DBT Skills Group is facilitated by Tish Weikel, NCC LPC, and Elizabeth Dvorak, NCC
Group Day: Thursdays
Group Time: 10:30am-12:00p