Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington, DBT was originally developed to treat
What is “Dialectical?”
DBT is based on the idea of “dialectics,” which is the thought that two things that appear as opposites can both be real and true at the same time and can be synthesized.
What this looks like in practice:
Dialectics takes a situation that people would like to make black and white, and, rather than making it gray, it creates something more along the lines of a yin and yang symbol.
One of the core dialectics often referred to in DBT is that of “Acceptance and Change,” which can be described as weighing out various points of view in any situation and constantly working on balancing an effort to change with accepting situations as they are.
Here at Sage, we work from a place of “acceptance and change.” We believe that our clients are doing the best they can and that their life would be more fulfilling if they made some changes. Both of these things are equally real and true.
Behavior therapy is based on the study of how behaviors are learned. For the most part, it is a “doing” therapy that focuses on the present rather than a “talking” therapy that focuses on the past.
DBT works to replace ineffective ways of coping by learning new, skillful ways of coping. This is accomplished, in part, by focusing on specific, measurable goals that can realistically be attained.
Evidence-based
At Sage, we find it important to use treatment approaches that are empirically backed. Research supports that DBT is as effective or more effective than other psychotherapies when treating a range of problems related to emotion dysregulation, including substance use problems, eating disordered behavior, and anger-related problems. Click here to view a summary of DBT data to date.
DBT is an empirically-supported treatment that has been shown to be effective for those struggling with
Visit the following pages to learn more about about:
DBT Therapy for Adults
DBT Therapy for Adolescents
Adapted from: Fielder-Jenks, C. (April 15, 2013). DBT Spotlight Blog Series: What is DBT? Located at: CFJCounseling.com/blog
References:
Behavioral Tech, LLC. (2013). DBT® Resources: What is DBT?
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford Press.
Linehan, M. M. and Dimeff, L. (2001). Dialectical Behavior Therapy in a Nutshell. The California Psychologist, 34, 10-13.