Therapies

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy designed to help individuals improve emotional regulation, build healthier coping mechanisms, and replace maladaptive behaviors with constructive ones. It helps people who struggle with overwhelming emotions, relationship difficulties, or unhealthy behavior patterns learn practical skills to stabilize their emotional and mental health.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

DBT balances two core principles: acceptance (helping individuals acknowledge themselves and their feelings without judgment) and change (supporting growth and healthier coping). This “dialectical” approach encourages individuals to accept where they are now and simultaneously work toward more adaptive, life-affirming behaviors.

How DBT Works

A full DBT program typically includes the following elements:

  • Individual therapy — Weekly one-on-one sessions with a trained therapist to address personal issues, apply DBT skills to real-life challenges, and tailor treatment to each person’s needs.

  • Group skills training — Regular group sessions led by a therapist, where participants learn and practice DBT’s core skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

  • Between-session coaching / support — As-needed coaching (often by phone or another contact method) to help clients apply skills in real-world situations, particularly during times of stress or crisis.

  • Therapist consultation and support team — Therapists meet regularly with other DBT-trained professionals to review cases and ensure treatment stays aligned with DBT’s principles.

This structured, multi-component approach helps not only teach new skills, but to integrate them into daily life — so clients can gradually build lasting change, emotional stability, and healthier behaviors.

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Core Skills Taught in DBT

DBT focuses on four core skill modules that together support emotional well-being, resilience, and healthier interactions. 

  • Mindfulness — Cultivating present-moment awareness: noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment, and learning to respond consciously rather than react impulsively.

  • Distress Tolerance — Developing the capacity to tolerate and survive emotional pain or difficult situations without resorting to harmful or destructive behaviors — instead using healthy coping strategies.

  • Emotion Regulation — Learning to recognize, label, and change intense or harmful emotional states; reducing vulnerability to extreme mood swings or emotional overwhelm.

  • Interpersonal Effectiveness — Building healthy communication and relationship skills: asserting needs, setting boundaries, navigating conflicts, and maintaining self-respect while fostering connection with others.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Who Can Benefit From DBT?

DBT has been shown effective for a wide range of mental health conditions and life challenges — not limited to any single diagnosis. It’s commonly used to help people who struggle with:

  • Emotion regulation difficulties (e.g., overwhelming anger, mood swings, anxiety, depression)
  • Impulsive, self-destructive, or harmful behaviors (e.g., self-harm, self-sabotage, destructive coping)
  • Relationship and interpersonal problems — difficulty communicating, setting boundaries, or maintaining healthy social connections.
  • Stress, trauma responses, or difficulty coping with major life changes — by providing healthy coping tools and emotional support.

Whether someone experiences chronic emotional dysregulation, recurring crises, or simply seeks better mental and relational health — DBT offers structured, practical support tailored to individual needs.

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Benefits of DBT: What Clients Often Gain

Choosing DBT can bring meaningful improvements in many areas of life:

  • Enhanced emotional balance — better ability to manage strong feelings, reduce distress, and avoid harmful patterns.

  • Stronger coping skills — practical tools for dealing with crises, stress, and overwhelming situations without resorting to destructive habits.

  • Improved relationships — better communication, more effective boundary-setting, healthier interactions, and deeper connections with loved ones.

  • Increased self-awareness and mindfulness — greater clarity about one’s emotions, triggers, and patterns; a more thoughtful, intentional approach to life.

  • Lasting behavior change — replacing maladaptive behaviors with adaptive, constructive habits that align with personal goals and values.

  • A path toward a fulfilling, balanced, meaningful life — building not just coping, but resilience, self-compassion, and long-term well-being.

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Learn More About Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

If you or someone you love is struggling with overwhelming emotions, impulsive behaviors, relational difficulties, or general mental health challenges — DBT could offer a path to lasting change, balance, and a more fulfilling life. Contact us to learn more about how our DBT program can support your journey.

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