Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

At times, the thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns you experience may benefit from outside support and professional treatment. With over 400 modalities of therapy available, there are many options for addressing these concerns, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which targets distressing emotions and how they can connect with patterns of behavior. Through weekly individual therapy sessions, clients can learn healthy coping mechanisms for emotion control like mindfulness, acceptance, and relationship skills. Learning how to find DBT near you can help you find a provider quickly and efficiently.

What is dialectical behavior therapy? How can I find a DBT counselor near me?

The word "dialectic" refers to analytical reasoning in pursuing knowledge and truth in conflict. Through interpersonal effectiveness skills, individuals can develop important skills that allow them to see the facts of a situation before reacting to a conflict with another individual. 

DBT was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., a psychologist who developed the therapy modality due to her diagnosis of BPD. Since its development, DBT has become a widely used modality by many of those involved in mental health fields, including individual therapists, counselors, clinicians, and psychologists, for numerous mental health diagnoses and challenges. You do not need to have a mental illness to use DBT skills training, as it can be an effective treatment for managing emotions and overall well-being.

• Enhancing your capability to increase skilled behavior
• Improving and maintaining your motivation to induce a state of change
• Ensuring the generalization of change through DBT skills training and treatment
• Enhancing the motivation of therapists to deliver the best treatment
• Assisting you in changing or restructuring your environment to support and maintain progress towards goals, with or without medication

Key elements of DBT

• Interpersonal Effectiveness: Skills focused on healthy communication, relationships, and self-respect to build and maintain advantageous connections
• Emotional Control: Strategies focused on helping clients control, change, and understand their intense emotions
• Distress Tolerance: Skills focused on increasing the acceptance and tolerance of unwanted or painful emotions instead of trying to escape or ignore them
• Mindfulness: Skills related to being present at the moment and accepting emotions and facts without judgment using a wise mind 

These modules also emphasize the development of DBT skills for long-term emotional control. Dialectical behavior therapy may involve a workbook that clients can use to learn the skills from the above four modules with the help of a DBT therapist. The workbook is designed to support ongoing skills training, providing practical exercises for clients during and after therapy. Often, therapists actively partake in roleplay and activities during a therapy session to help clients learn these modules. 

Who can benefit from this treatment?  

• Substance use disorders 
• Bipolar disorder
• Depressive disorders
• Eating disorders 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety disorders
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 
• Behavioral concerns
• Relationship conflicts 
• Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) 
• Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) 
• Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) 
• Executive functioning difficulties
• School challenges in children and teens 

How DBT teaches acceptance

How does DBT work?

DBT is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that a therapist can use to teach clients to accept themselves as they are without judgment while learning skills that have been studied to work. DBT involves four modules with various skills and worksheets throughout. When you first get to your sessions with your therapist, you may start at the beginning of the DBT workbook and work your way through learning and practicing each skill. Your therapist may participate in the practice, modeling how these skills can be used. 

Graduating DBT doesn't necessarily mean you no longer would benefit from using the skills and meeting with a DBT therapist. Instead, it means the DBT therapist likely believes you've learned the skills sufficiently and can practice them independently. You might still supplement these skills with talk therapy sessions. Normally, your therapist will apprise you of any areas where additional support for DBT could be helpful and recommend strategies to reinforce your progress.

How can I find a DBT counselor near me?

Many therapists accept insurance, but if you do not have insurance or can't find a provider that offers coverage for this treatment, group DBT sessions may be more affordable than individual therapy. There are more slots offered for the session time, allowing therapists to cut down on the session costs or distribute the cost of their services between multiple clients in one therapy session. 

DBT through the Linehan Board of Certification

The Linehan Board of Certification is one of several organizations that provides a public online tool to help potential clients identify providers trained in and offering DBT therapy supported by evidence-based research. Those listed with the Linehan Board of Certification are vetted and proven to have the requisite skills and knowledge to deliver DBT and adhere to the therapy model Dr. Linehan and her colleagues created. 

Alternative DBT therapy options: Online mental health tools 

An online mental health tool like BetterHelp can provide a flexible and convenient way to receive DBT. Although you may be responsible for downloading or purchasing the DBT workbook, your online DBT therapist can provide free worksheets and offer the same structure and lessons as an in-person therapist. Many therapists working on online platforms practice DBT and other forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy. 

Additionally, studies have found that internet-based DBT was as effective as in-person therapy for those who completed the program. A DBT therapist who works online is a mental health professional that has received the same training as a DBT therapist who works in an office setting. Attendance in the online therapy group was also higher than in in-person therapy groups, showcasing the availability of online formats. When you use an online platform for therapy, you can match with a DBT therapist and choose to meet over the phone, via video chat, or through a live chat session with a licensed therapist from any location with an internet connection.