An Overview of DBT

Developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1970s, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that was originally developed to help treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Since its inception, DBT has evolved and is now widely used to help people with a variety of emotional regulation issues.

Stemming from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is a type of talk therapy that helps people understand how their thoughts affect their emotions, DBT takes things a few steps further.

The word “dialectical” refers to the synthesis of opposites. In DBT, this usually involves balancing acceptance and change. A foundational dialectic statement may sound like, “I accept myself as I am, and I need to change”. DBT provides people with skills for healthier ways to cope, which can be incredibly empowering.

DBT is used to treat and manage a wide range of mental health issues including but not limited to borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-harm, suicidal ideation/behaviour, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.

The structure of DBT may vary between therapists, but in general will involve four types of sessions. These include the DBT pre-assessment, individual therapy, skills training in groups, and telephone crisis coaching. 

DBT is also heavily focused on the development of skills, which fall into four categories. These categories are:

• Mindfulness

• Distress tolerance

• Interpersonal effectiveness

• Emotion regulation.  

If you are interested in learning more about DBT, feel free to book a Discovery Call!