DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY IN ORANGE COUNTY

DBT IN OC

DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT) IN OC

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a research-based therapy stemming from traditional cognitive behavioral therapy that helps people develop the necessary skills to better control emotions and emotional reactions.

Difficulties coping with emotions in a healthy way is sometimes called emotional regulation. Emotional dysregulation happens when you have a hard time  identifying or regulating your emotions or emotional responses to stressful external and internal stimuli, such as traumatic life experiences or troubling thoughts.

Emotional dysregulation is linked to many mental health concerns, including unstable or volatile emotional experiences, challenges with impulse control, struggles in interpersonal relationships, and poor self-image and identity formation.

HOW DOES DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY WORK?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) works by analyzing all parts of reality—not only looking at a single element of the subsystem (one’s problematic behavior), but also exploring how the other parts of reality (one’s environment) and larger systems (culture, global climate, etc.) operate together.

It’s human nature to sometimes experience black and white or “all-or-nothing” thinking. For some who are unable to look beyond or challenge this type of thinking, they may experience troublesome and persistent emotions that are difficult to manage.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps people gain acceptance and learn useful change skills. A main tenant of DBT is finding ways to hold two seemingly opposite perspectives at once. The goal is to avoid all-or-nothing thinking and to increase one’s tolerance with ambiguity.

A practical example of this could be as simple as accepting ourselves as who we are now, while also acknowledging our need and desire to change. Skills taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may include: mindfulness practices, interpersonal communication skills, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance.

These skills aim to help people become more comfortable with the idea of change, instead of focusing on trying to control things we cannot, such as other people and the environment. These skills can then be transferable to other major transitions or life events that may bring up an unpleasant and painful emotional response.