Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan to help better treat borderline personality disorder. Since its development, it has also been used for the treatment of other kinds of mental health disorders.

DBT emphasizes the psychosocial aspects of treatment. The theory behind the approach is that some people are prone to react in a more intense and out-of-the-ordinary manner toward certain emotional situations, primarily those found in romantic, family, and friend relationships. DBT theory suggests that some people’s arousal levels in such situations can increase far more quickly than the average person’s, attain a higher level of emotional stimulation, and take a significant amount of time to return to baseline arousal levels. DBT treatment helps clients learn and master skills in four main areas: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. 

I teach clients DBT skills and give clients the opportunity to practice these skills in a safe, supportive environment so that they can achieve some mastery and effectively make the skills their go-to ways of responding in difficult situations.