An Overview of DBT Therapy: What It Is Used For?

DBT therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral model used in psychotherapy. It is an extremely effective type of therapy that aids in the treatment of many mental health disorders, including depression and borderline personality disorder.

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What is DBT therapy?

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral model used in psychotherapy. What exactly is DBT?

In the late 1980s, psychologist Marsha M. Linehan pioneered dialectical behavioral therapy. It was initially created to aid in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. It has since been used to treat a wide range of other disorders.

DBT is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that emphasizes the treatment's psychosocial aspects. The central idea behind DBT is that specific people are more likely than others to react intensely or unusually to certain emotional situations. These emotional situations are most commonly encountered in family, romantic relationships, or friendships.

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Techniques of DBT therapy

DBT therapy is commonly used in the following settings(Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash)

DBT has evolved into an evidence-based counseling approach used to treat a wide range of conditions. DBT therapy is commonly used in the following settings:

Patients are taught behavioral skills in a group setting during group therapy.

Individual therapy with a professional therapist in which a patient's acquired behavioral skills is applied to their specific life challenges.

Patients can call the mental health professional between sessions to get advice on how to deal with the tough position they are currently in.

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DBT therapy developmental stages

Dialectical behavior therapy is divided into four treatment stages as well.

Stage 1: At the start of treatment, the most serious and egotistical behaviors are addressed first. Self-injury and suicidal behavior are examples of such issues.

Stage 2: Following that, the treatment focuses on issues that affect a person's quality of life, such as interpersonal effectiveness, cognitive emotion regulation skills, and ability to tolerate distress.

Stage 3: The next step is to concentrate on issues of self-esteem and social interaction.

Stage 4: At the moment, treatment focuses on assisting people in making the most of their lives, such as finding ways to achieve greater happiness, strengthen relationships, and pursue life goals.

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DBT can help with which conditions?

Beyond BPD, research has shown that dialectical behavior therapy can help reduce suicidal behavior in adults. DBT has also been shown in studies to reduce self-harming behavior and suicide attempts.

DBT could be an effective treatment for:

• eating disorders
• substance abuse
• depression
• bipolar

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Dialectical behavioral therapy's advantages

(Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash)

To achieve positive changes inside the individual in treatment, the patient and therapist work together in DBT therapy to help solve the obvious paradox between self-acceptance and change. Part of this process involves providing validation, which makes people more likely to collaborate and less likely to be distressed by the prospect of change.

In practice, the psychologist validates that a person's actions "make sense" in the context of their life observations without agreeing that the acts are the best way to solve a problem.

DBT therapy's 4 main objectives are to improve -

Acceptance and change: You will learn techniques for accepting and tolerating your life situation, emotions, and yourself. You will also gain skills that will enable you to make improvements in your interactions and relationships with others.

Behavioral: You'll learn how to analyze problems or destructive behavior patterns and replace them with healthier and more effective ones.

Cognitive: You will concentrate on changing negative or ineffective thoughts and beliefs.

Collaboration: You will learn how to communicate effectively and collaborate with others (therapists, group therapists, psychiatrists).

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What to do next?

DBT teaches you how to manage strong emotions, cope with stress, and cultivate healthy relationships.

You can use web tools to find practitioners who specialize in DBT to find a DBT therapist.

Asking around can also be beneficial. Consultation with your primary physician, other practitioners, or your local community college, university, or medical center could all be beneficial.