Dialectical-behavioural Therapy (DBT) is a therapy that sits under the CBT umbrella, meaning that it focuses on thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
The middle path
The word “dialectic” can be a bit confusing at first. I often refer to it as “walking a middle path”… the middle path is one where you can acknowledge both sides: your own role in your predicament, and the role of your environment… accepting yourself for who you are, and changing yourself… logical mind and emotional mind… DBT attempts to help you synthesise these opposing notions, achieving more balance and stability, rather than a sense of swinging more erratically from one side to the other.
DBT was initially developed to help people with borderline personality disorder, and people who experienced chronic suicidal thoughts and self harming. In other therapeutic approaches, these self-harming thoughts and behaviours would become the focus of change. However, clients felt as though they were not accepted. Hence the dialectic notion of both acceptance and change emerged. DBT helps you to contextualise your own individual struggles within the environment you are in, so that you can make wiser choices with your actions.
DBT skills and techniques
The areas of DBT that cover the “Acceptance” side of the path include:
- mindfulness practices,
- radical acceptance of situations and
- strategies to get through moments of heightened distress.
The areas of DBT that target the “change” side of the path include:
- skills training in being more effective at asserting yourself
- skills training in communicating with others and
- strategies to regulate emotions.
Note: I incorporate Dialectical-Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills and techniques in my work with individuals where appropriate. I do not run any DBT groups.
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Other therapies I provide: