DBT is a form of therapy that has been widely used and researched since it was originally developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1990’s. She originally developed the treatment for use of individuals with borderline personality disorder, a mental health disorder that impacts how individuals interact with others and view themselves.
What is DBT?
DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy. The idea behind “dialectical” is that contrasting feelings or ideas can exist at the same time. For example, you can love someone while also being angry at them for something they did. Understanding dialectics can help individuals build acceptance and tolerance of difficult emotions and situations. Ultimately, this is what helps the individual change and grow, leading to healthier relationships and self-concepts.
Traditionally, DBT involved both a group and an individual component. Someone undergoing traditional DBT treatment would have their own individual therapist and then would also be part of a group run by another therapist. These groups are meant to help individuals practice the skills they’re learning within treatment.
What skills does DBT focus on?
There are 4 domains that DBT focuses on: distress tolerance, emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, and mindfulness. Each of these 4 dimensions represent an area that someone with borderline personality disorder may commonly struggle with.
The goal of DBT is to increase emotional regulation, increase distress tolerance, and improve interpersonal relationships and self-concept.
Who is DBT for?
DBT was originally developed for women with borderline personality disorder. Often, these individuals were also struggling with a substance use disorder and/or suicidal or non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. DBT was meant to help reduce problematic behaviors and replace them with alternative, more adaptive coping skills.
While this was the original population, that doesn’t mean that DBT isn’t flexible or able to be used with other individuals. The original format of DBT is involved and can require a lot of time and commitment from individuals and therapists. However, DBT can be implemented in sessions without involving the full protocol. This is usually referred to as “DBT light”. This makes the treatment more accessible for individuals who can’t commit to the dual individual and group sessions or who may not need as strict structure as the original DBT.
For example, DBT often involves using take-home cards or forms that are filled out by the individual over the week. They track things like behaviors, what skills were used, etc. For some people, this may just be too much to keep track of outside of therapy. Or they may not need this level of intensive tracking. Some individuals may only need help with emotional regulation or distress tolerance but not the other domains. These DBT skills can still be used with those clients.
Many clinicians use DBT with their clients. If you’re interested in working with one, then looking through their profiles on insurance companies or group practice websites can help you find one.
