Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

 

What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an empirical established treatment modality for individuals with multiple and severe psychosocial disorders.  Many individuals with psychosocial disorders are concurrent with substance use disorder.  DBT incorporates skills and tools that are designed to promote abstinence and to reduce the length and frequency of relapse (Linehan, 2008).  The main goal of DBT is to assist individuals with acceptance and change through learning skills and tools that focus on mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.

DBT skills are part of all our psychoeducational groups and utilized by case managers to support the needs of individual clients on a daily basis, because it helps to build the skills and tools on how to deal with life.  

Why DBT?

When individuals experience the above struggles, they tend to lose sight on ways to emotion regulation, they have minimal coping skills, and/or they are easily triggered into hyper or hypo arousal instead of optimal arousal.

Purpose of DBT?

The purpose of DBT is to help and strengthen clients’ capabilities regarding mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance:

A) Mindfulness: The practice of being fully aware and present in the moment.

B) Interpersonal Effectiveness: The practice of communicating your needs and wants while maintaining self-respect and relationships with others.

C) Emotion Regulation: The practice of managing emotional experiences.

D) Distress Tolerance: The practice of tolerating and managing emotional pain during difficult situations.

How Often?

DBT skills are part of all our psychoeducational groups and utilized by case managers to support the needs of individual clients. However, there is an enchased program component available that is 4 modules and 8 sessions in length (weekly or bi-weekly).

Not all clients having the opportunity to participate in DBT skills training as it is a limited group.  Individuals who are stabilized and can fully manage the core elements of our program will be invited by their case manager should it be determined that DBT skills would benefit their stay at WHS. 

The target population for DBT is emerging adults and adults who experience or struggle with a personality disorder, depression, anxiety, chaotic relationships, emotional storms, and anger management difficulties.

 

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