Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

I am a DBT certified therapist. I love this treatment approach because it has countless specific, tangible coping skills one can utilize in an array of situations. Dialectic means “synthesis of opposites”. In therapy, I work with you to find ways to hold two seemingly opposite perspectives at once – moving away from all-or-nothing thinking and toward a both/and perspective that fosters balance. For ex: “I’m doing the best I can, and I can do better” or “I’m anxious and I can get through this."

I have taken numerous trainings in DBT including intensive trainings. I have participated on DBT consultation teams, provided individual DBT therapy, and have facilitated DBT skills groups. This is a form of therapy that I really love because it brings a number of really effective psychotherapies and philosophies into a nice package that is practical for everyday life. DBT is something we can all use!

DBT aims to help people create lives worth living. For treatment with DBT to be considered comprehensive, it needs to include all four of these modes of treatment, including: • Individual therapy to enhance motivation • Skills groups to enhance capabilities • Phone coaching to generalize skills to natural environment • Consultation team meetings to enhance therapist motivation and capability

A very close relative of Cognitive Behavorial Therapy (CBT), DBT helps people learn acceptance and to live in the moment (mindfulness skills). By using mindfulness and other coping strategies, DBT also helps individuals increase their tolerance to things that cause them distress. In turn, this enables individuals to better regulate their emotions and improve the interpersonal relationships they have with others. This type of modality can be used to treat a number of mental health issues.

DBT is a therapy specially designed to help us deal with our emotions in an effective way, learn how to accept what we cannot control, and focus on achieving our goals. In primarily being a DBT therapist, I help clients learn new skills to help manage relationships, situations and distress as they occur, and to identify how to best live our life the way we want to.

Whether we are working with the originl DBT program to address impusivity or the Radically Open DBT program to work through overcontrolled behaviors, these skills are incredibly helpful with managing behaviors that stand in our way of happiness and success.

DBT is an empirically based therapy that uses cognitive behavioral therapy approach combined with a mindfulness approach and acceptance strategies. DBT is mostly used to treat personality disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder and Mood Disorders.

I have extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and draw from it to help individuals who experience frequent conflict, intense emotions, and anger management. I also integrate DBT in the treatment of eating disorders.

Skills Training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy from the Lineham institute.

DBT was initially designed to treat people with suicidal behavior and borderline personality disorder. It has been adapted for other mental health problems that threaten a person's safety, relationships, work, and emotional well-being. DBT is helpful for clients who may have intense bursts of anger and aggression, moods that shift rapidly, and extreme sensitivity to rejection.

utilizing an electric approach including principles from humanistic or person-centered therapy (PCT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based therapy (MBT).

In my practice, I have utilized DBT in treatment for personality disorders, most commonly for Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT has elements of mindfulness that is effective across many mental health struggles.

DBT help people successfully improve coping skills develop effective ways to manage and express strong emotions Researchers found that DBT is effective regardless of a person's age sex gender identity sexual orientation and race ethnicity DBT is effective in the treatment of borderline personality disorder for suicidal behavior and self-harm the method could also be a successful treatment for other mental health conditions and in the treatment of PTSD depression and anxiety

The skills of DBT are helpful in managing the daily difficulties of life, from emotional regulation to understanding and responding to situations. I also utilize the general approach of dialectics to better understand experiences and their meaning. In practice, this is often to try and resolve two opposing beliefs, or to incorporate material conditions and their impact into the emotional story being told.

Mindfulness is the foundation to improving your overall quality of life