What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
consists of 4 key skills building components:
Core Mindfulness
You will learn how to focus in the "Here and Now", to be present in what is being experienced. Mindfulness allows greater focus, clarity, and ability to identify the emotions we experience to help us make better decisions in how to manage emotions and behaviors.
Distress Tolerance
We will teach you how to cope with intense emotions and thoughts with distraction and accepting reality techniques during moments of discomfort or crisis, including how to manage urges to self-harm and suicidal ideations.
Emotion Regulation
We will give you the tools you need to identify, label, and manage uncomfortable, intense and overwhelming feelings. This helps decrease emotional suffering while teaching us how to acknowledge and feel our feelings and not avoid uncomfortable emotions, to reduce "sticky" emotions from past hurts and traumas that we often feel stuck in reliving daily, and how to keep ourselves balanced so that we are less vulnerable and feel more secure in managing our emotions.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
We teach you to improve communication skills to help you communicate your needs assertively, without aggression or being passive. Our goal is to help you feel proud of how you express yourself and your needs to others, feel secure in setting heathy boundaries, and ultimately help you feel seen and heard while also showing others they are seen and heard by you.
DBT Addresses High Risk and Impulsive Behaviors
Self-injury and suicidal thoughts are monitored weekly in session. Safety strategies are in place beginning the first session, so clients and parents are aware of safety expectations and resources to address a crisis between sessions. Safety plans are developed and adjusted regularly to help you or your loved one stay safe while learning to manage intense emotions, urges, and behaviors. DBT skills are taught and practiced in session, and strategized to determine how to apply in your daily environment and within relationships. Skills Coaching is offered between sessions as an additional support.