Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Changing Your Patterns to Change Your Life

At Mosaic Clinical Services, our skilled clinicians have completed training in a variety of specific therapy methods to help people achieve their mental and behavioral health goals. One method we use on a regular basis is Dialectical Behavior Therapy, usually referred to simply as DBT. This innovative technique has proven effective in creating positive changes for people working through a variety of life challenges and clinical diagnoses. Keep reading to learn more about this therapy method, and don’t hesitate to talk to your counselor in Kingston about DBT and whether or not it may be an effective option for you.

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What is DBT?

It is a unique, goal-oriented therapy technique developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD, ABPP. Dr. Linehan served as the Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington, and her research has produced numerous beneficial therapy methods, including DBT. This therapeutic strategy helps people develop a number of skills, including mindfulness, emotional regulation, tolerance for distress, and interpersonal effectiveness. In most cases, DBT is used during individual counseling sessions, but it may also be utilized as part of group skills training.

 

Who Would Benefit from DBT?

DBT was originally developed by Dr. Linehan to help people who were chronically suicidal and those who were diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Since it’s development, DBT has quickly become the go-to therapy technique for people experiencing suicidal ideations and those diagnosed with BPD. It has also proven effective to help those struggling with the following conditions:

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• Substance use and dependence issues

• Clinical depression

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Eating Disorders

• Anxiety or compulsivity disorders

• Anger

• Poor or dysfunctional relationships

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How Does DBT Work?

During DBT therapy, your counselor will partner with you develop skills in our office that you can put into practice during your daily life. The skills you develop during DBT typically fall within one of the following four categories:

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• Mindfulness - ability to be fully aware and experience the present moment

• Distress Tolerance - ability to accept and tolerate painful or difficult situations without needing to change them

• Interpersonal Effectiveness - ability to ask for you want, expect people to respect your boundaries, and maintain self-respect within personal relationships

• Emotional Regulation - ability to understand, experience, and process your emotions and make changes when you want to

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These skills will be discussed and developed during traditional therapy. Your counselor will also provide you with “homework,” so you can continue to practice these skills every day. The purpose of the skills developed through DBT is to help you acknowledge the ways you respond to situations, especially relational and social interactions, and work to appropriately regulate your responses. This helps people avoid self-harmful or self-diminishing thoughts and behaviors in order to develop healthy, meaningful relationships and lead satisfying lives.

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DBT Group & Individual Work

Your DBT work is founded on the idea that it’s important to change the way you interact with your community and environment in order to break free from cycles of behavior or thinking. For many, the best way to complete this process is to work within a community or group of people. That’s why we so often incorporate a combination of group and individual DBT sessions. We offer three main DBT group sessions: Adult DBT, Adolescent DBT and DBT for Eating Disorders. Please contact us for specific days and times. 

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How do I Get Started with Mosaic Clinical Services?

If you want to learn more about DBT group sessions, you can contact our team and one of us will be happy to speak with you about available counseling services and help you determine what your next steps should be.