{"id":14319,"date":"2024-01-12T13:03:59","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T21:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crossroadscollective.ca\/?p=14319"},"modified":"2024-01-12T13:09:59","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T21:09:59","slug":"dialectical-behavioural-therapy-dbt-a-brief-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crossroadscollective.ca\/dialectical-behavioural-therapy-dbt-a-brief-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT): A brief overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Article by Tara Anton<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DBT was created by Marsha Lindham in the 1990s from the foundational concepts of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. CBT\u2019s theoretical framework stems from Behaviourism and Social Learning Theory. At its roots, DBT is a trauma-informed therapy with influences from Zen Buddhism. This modality was created to help manage the intense emotions associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), including suicidality, but is now often used for a variety of issues, including mood disorders and intense impulsivity. Many negative thought patterns stem from very black-and-white thinking – \u201cdialectics\u201d emphasizes the grey area, and helps identify that two differing ideas can be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DBT is a long-term form of counselling, generally at least a year, and entails a detailed curriculum and weekly homework in the form of Diary Cards that you work through with a DBT-trained counsellor. Diary cards track your mood, urges, and behaviours, as well as the learned skills that were used to cope with them. Generally, the client attends a DBT group therapy, where a variety of skills are introduced and taught, and then has one-on-one therapy as well, to discuss the specific use and integration of these skills in their lives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4 DBT concepts that are taught throughout the curriculum include Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation & Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills. There are several different skills within each category to help develop long-term coping mechanisms in these areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Mindfulness:<\/strong> \u201cMany folks who come to DBT find themselves ruminating on the past or fretting about the future. Practicing Mindfulness skills can help achieve a balance\u201d (DBT self-help). Mindfulness can help you to focus on the present, instead of catastrophizing the future or being frozen and overwhelmed with the past. It helps you to see your thoughts in a non-judgmental way, and then let them go. This is often done with a variety of exercises that are similar to meditations, but are often a bit directed, such as body scans, breathing exercises, observational exercises, and learning to focus on one thing at a time. Here\u2019s a link to a mindfulness exercise as an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n