Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)
DBT is a type of psychotherapy (talk therapy). More specifically, it's an evidence-based form of the widely-used cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). It is specially adapted for people who feel emotions intensely such as depression, anxiety, and other conditions and is hugely successful. DBT aims to help:
- Understand and accept difficult feelings
- Learn skills to manage them
- Becoming able to make positive changes in your life.
The four psychological and emotional function modules that DBT focuses on include mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation.
Mindfulness is awareness cultivated by paying attention in a particular way, moment to moment, and without judgement. Mindfulness allows us to experience reality as it is.
Distress Tolerance contains two skill sets, crisis survival skills and reality acceptance skills.
The crisis survival skills emphasize changing one's immediate experience by distracting, self-soothing, and improving the moment. Reality acceptance skills help one learn how to fully accept painful circumstances that cannot be changed without avoiding or fighting them.
Emotion Regulation
Emotion Regulation skills address the individual's biological vulnerability to emotion dysregulation. People struggling with chronic and significant emotion regulation difficulties often display three fundamental features:
- Sensitivity to emotional cues (triggers)
- Intense emotional reactions to cues
- Slower return to baseline mood
This module was designed to address these temperamental factors.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness focuses on helping people to obtain what they want while maintaining their relationships and self-respect; being assertive and effective in solving interpersonal problems; decreasing social isolation; skillfully ending destructive and unhealthy relationships; and balancing acceptance and change in relationships.
