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Discover how starting dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
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I approach DBT with my client as a collaboration, because it's most effective when the client both understands concepts of behaviorism in general and is validated in the ways that their own particular experiences have affected them and caused pain and suffering in their lives. Overall, DBT is about learning to incorporate a mindset of “both-and” rather than “either-or,” which facilitates and strengthens the client's ability to be flexible, nonjudgmental, and effective in the choices they make every day to build a life worth living.
Behavioral skills training is a core piece of DBT. In DBT, I teach clients a variety of skill sets, grouped into categories:
I know clients are making meaningful progress when they are participating in individual therapy and skills groups, completing skills practice exercises, and most importantly, reporting (both via subjective report and diary card data) that their emotional and cognitive suffering is reduced while their peace and clarity of mind, quality of relationships, and overall functioning are increased.
DBT is structured in such a way that, if they do all that's required, such as daily diary card completion, skills practice assignments, attending individual therapy and skills group, and participating in regular weekly phone coaching to generalize skills, there's not a lot of time for supplemental activities. It's a pretty comprehensive treatment.
To prepare for DBT, it might be helpful to do a little outside reading on what it is and how it works. The way it's structured, a client can come in knowing nothing and the therapist will work with them to share its concepts and how it will be able to help them if they are willing to give it a try!
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 Royal Oak, MI 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 | |
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Wednesday | 8:00am - 9:00pm | |
Thursday | 8:00am - 9:00pm |
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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 |
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