Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT was developed by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s. DBT can be used to treat mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder, substance use disorders, and eating disorders. It has opportunities for practical application in the treatment of anxiety and depression as well. The goal of DBT is not only to reduce symptoms but also to help you improve your life skills and achieve your goals, and objectives.

The theory behind DBT is based on Eastern philosophy and Western psychology, which states that people have four basic affects: happy/joyful, sad/sorrowful, angry/irritable or afraid/fearful. These emotions are often experienced at the same time as one another; for example when you’re sad about something but also feel angry about it at the same time. According to this belief system it’s important for us not only understand our feelings but also learn how they interact with each other so we can regulate them effectively.

DBT is a comprehensive treatment approach used to help clients manage their problems and symptoms by teaching them how to improve the quality of their lives. It combines cognitive behavioral therapy with the concepts of acceptance, mindfulness, and dialectics. By accepting the way things are in reality, as opposed to arguing about events from the past or trying to predict what might happen in the future, this therapy teaches you to focus on what is going on around you right now instead of distracting yourself by thinking about something else.

In the context of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, dialectics involves adopting a stance that is based on acceptance of the existence of multiple realities. In other words, this means accepting that opposing viewpoints exist and that they cannot be reconciled into one unified belief system. Furthermore, acceptance of reality as it is implies that each person has their own distinct position in the world that may not be easily transferable to another person

In the sessions, I am just a guide and navigator holding the map. You will not be judge or criticized. I will be empathic, attuned, and compassionate, and listen to what you have to say. I will help you identify your body sensations, emotions, and thoughts, so that they can be discussed openly in treatment sessions. I will teach you emotional regulation skills, distress tolerance skills, through coping and grounding techniques.

By learning how to recognize when we’re having an emotion, we can better regulate our feelings before they become overwhelming (or harmful). For example, if I’m feeling angry at someone who cuts me off on the highway while driving, then instead of honking my horn at them in anger or yelling obscenities out my window–which would only make matters worse–I could practice deep breathing exercises until I calm myself down enough so as not feel like exploding with rage anymore! This technique is called “self-soothing” because it involves calming yourself down by focusing on something else besides what’s causing these negative feelings inside yourself.”

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a practical form of therapy that can help you regulate your emotions, improve self-worth and build healthy relationships. The skills taught in DBT are intended to help you cope with the stresses of daily life. They include:

• General Skills
• Mindfulness Skills
• Emotion Regulation Skills
• Distress Tolerance Skills / Coping Strategies
• Interpersonal Effectiveness

The modules are designed to address specific needs, be sequential and flexible, practical, culturally sensitive and applicable in multiple settings.

Mindfulness – This module introduces clients to the concepts of mindfulness and acceptance, and teaches them how they can use these skills to manage their emotional experiences more effectively. Clients learn various strategies for observing their emotional thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors in a nonjudgmental way. They also learn how to accept their emotions when they arise, not suppress them or resist them. Using these skills allows clients to experience the full range of emotions in their lives and gives them the ability to identify triggers for different reactions.

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. It’s a technique for avoiding thought traps and increasing self-awareness. Mindfulness can be practiced through meditation, but it can also be applied to everyday activities like eating breakfast or walking around your neighborhood. When practicing mindfulness with other people (such as during group therapy sessions), try to focus on what they are saying rather than thinking about what you want them to say next or how they might react if they said something different than what they actually did say. This requires letting go of expectations about how things should go and becoming more accepting of reality as it is in that moment–the good parts as well as any difficulties experienced along the way!

Distress Tolerance – This module teaches clients how to tolerate distress effectively so that they can build their skills for tolerating future challenges. The goal of this module is for clients who experience intense emotions such as anxiety or anger that may lead them into problematic behaviors (e.g., self-harm). They will learn how those feelings come about; what happens when you have these feelings; what helps you feel better (e.g., mindfulness); what doesn’t help (e.g., avoidance); how these skills can be used when faced with another challenge later on down the road.”

Distress tolerance is the ability to tolerate distress without resorting to maladaptive behaviors. For example, if you are feeling distressed by something that has happened and your first impulse is to yell at someone or drink alcohol, distress tolerance would be the skill that allows you to keep calm and talk through your feelings in a healthy manner. Distress tolerance is not the same as resilience; it’s possible for someone who hasn’t learned this skill yet (or has never been taught) to be resilient in times of crisis but still struggle with being able to tolerate ordinary stressors without falling apart. The goal of teaching distress tolerance skills is not only so that individuals can handle major life events better–it’s also so they can function normally on an everyday level!

Interpersonal Effectiveness – This module teaches clients how they can more effectively communicate with others by using effective communication strategies such as active listening skills which involves reflecting back what other people are saying without judgment or criticism.” How to communicate effectively with others. How to ask for what you want in a way that doesn’t create conflict or cause disappointment. How to manage conflict when it arises, including how to use assertive communication when necessary. Setting boundaries and negotiating with other people who have their own needs and wants (this can be especially challenging if you’re very accommodating by nature)

Emotion Regulation

This module teaches clients how to regulate their emotions. Through dialectical methods, clients will learn how to identify and label their emotions, as well as learn coping skills that can help them to control their behaviors and actions when they experience distressing situations. In addition, clients will be taught how to monitor their emotional states in order to prevent increasing levels of anger and sadness.

Emotion regulation is a skill that can be learned. It’s not the same as emotion suppression, which is the act of trying to block out emotions or push them away. It also isn’t the same thing as emotion management, which involves strategies for dealing with your feelings in an effective way. Emotion regulation includes strategies for managing your reactions to situations so that they’re less intense and last shorter periods of time than they would if you didn’t use these strategies. For example, if someone says something hurtful to you at work today (and it makes sense for them not knowing about your mental health issues), instead of getting angry at them like most people would do out of instinctual self-defense mode–you might take some deep breaths and remind yourself that this person doesn’t know anything about what happened between us earlier today so why should I let their words bother me? Or maybe even better yet: instead of reacting negatively right away because my initial reaction was anger then hurt followed by sadness etc., we could try using humor as an alternative response like chuckling softly under our breath while shaking our head back-and-forth slowly as though saying “no way!” Or even better still…