What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Developed during the 1980’s by Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a therapeutic approach designed to treat adults and adolescents with emotion dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, impulsivity, negative self-thoughts, self-injurious behaviors and suicidality.
DBT combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that emphasizes “change” with a Mindfulness practice to emphasize the “acceptance” of reality and skills to help work with reality. A unique aspect of DBT treatment is it’s compassionate and realistic problem solving approach to daily problems of living.
The focus of DBT treatment is on learning the skills necessary to manage intense, often painful emotions, and learning to productively manage behavioral responses. We present these skills to patients in our DBT Skills Training Classes. During individual sessions, which patients have in tandem with Skills classes, patients and therapists implement how to use specific DBT skills to assist with life circumstances to help achieve therapeutic goals.
The Four Elements of DBT Treatment
Individual Therapy
In individual therapy the Therapist and Patient work together to try to improve the patients quality of life. Together they generalize skills learned in the Skills Training Class, decreasing maladaptive behaviors, improving problem solving and self-acceptance.
Skills Training Class
In our DBT Skills Class Patients learn and practice DBT skills to better identify and manage their emotions, control their impulses, handle difficult life events, improve their ability to interact effectively with others and gain greater ability to make positive, rather than self-destructive choices in their lives. DBT Skills Training Class meets weekly for one hour with a class size of approximately 6-10 members.
Skills Training Class consists of four Skills Modules: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Each module is approximately 6 weeks. DBT Skills Training Class is mandatory for all patients in DBT treatment. DBT Class is not “group therapy” and it is a productive skills learning environment
Since this is a class that focuses on skills training, members are prohibited from discussing or disclosing personal details or maladaptive behaviors such as family conflict, relationships, self-harm or drug use. Adolescent class members are prohibited from forming any relationship outside of the Skills Training Class while a member of the class.
Telephone Crisis Coaching
Between individual sessions patients may need coaching from their therapist to help them get through a crisis. Crisis coaching can help remind a patient of skills they know or to teach a skill in the moment to help endure and resolve the crisis.
DBT Treatment Team
Our team of therapists meets regularly to provide consultation, education and support to each other. Our collective team approach offers patients in treatment with DBT Associates of Nyack the additional benefit of the therapeutic consideration and strong collective experience of our team.
