Book a session with a therapist or psychiatry provider near you
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
Discover how starting dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
Look for a confirmation email in your inbox shortly. We’ll help find you a provider and guide you through everything you should know about starting care at Thriveworks.
My go-to approach for helping people in dialectical behavior therapy is skills and education-based. I find the best benefit in using DBT is the tangible tools taught because clients are able to better build autonomy and agency when we understand why we feel the way we do, and what to do with those feelings so they don't become overwhelming. DBT has been so helpful for clients who have experienced feeling out of control or overtaken by intense emotions and feelings as it helps them to honor and feel emotions while using skills to keep them manageable.
I teach a lot of different tools in DBT, as it is most effective when the skills build off of each other—they overlap and reinforce one another. Some really beneficial tools I use early in sessions tends to be radical acceptance, urge surfing, ride the wave, TIPP, and ACCEPTS.
I know a client is making meaningful progress in DBT when they are able to notice changes on their own in between sessions, and when the client has been able to remember how to use skills organically and effectively.
Clients can supplement their time in DBT with journaling, mindfulness, and just being intentional with their thoughts and behaviors—boundary setting and communication also go a long way!
To prepare for their first dialectical behavioral therapy session, an individual can start journaling and keeping track of their mood. This helps to notice patterns and builds consistency that will support developing new cycles, habits, and skills.
At Thriveworks, Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) primarily concentrates on assisting individuals in emotion regulation, enhancing interpersonal relationships, and acquiring effective coping strategies for managing stress and emotional difficulties.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) targets your personal challenges. You may work with your DBT therapist to maintain diary cards to monitor progress, emphasizing validation and support in the therapeutic relationship. DBT follows a stage-based approach, prioritizing crisis reduction initially and life satisfaction.
DBT was initially developed to address the needs of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, its versatile approach has enabled its application to a wide range of mental health conditions, including but not limited to, anxiety, depression, stress, and anger issues.
The 4 pillars of DBT are mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) have distinct purposes and aren’t inherently superior or inferior to one another. DBT is most effective for managing emotional regulation, personality disorders, and interpersonal challenges, while EMDR is specifically tailored for individuals with trauma-related conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with therapists at Thriveworks in Lynchburg, VA is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
The duration of a standard DBT program is typically around 24 weeks, which is roughly six months. The actual number of sessions will vary depending on the issues you wish to address.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Friday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Saturday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Sunday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Monday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Tuesday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Wednesday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Thursday | 8:00am - 9:00pm |
Shown in ET
Friday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Saturday | 8:00am - 6:00pm | |
Sunday | 8:00am - 6:00pm | |
Monday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Tuesday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Wednesday | 8:00am - 9:30pm | |
Thursday | 8:00am - 9:30pm |
Shown in ET