Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment developed to aid individuals with chronic emotion regulation issues. Individual psychotherapy sessions, weekly group skills-training classes, and access to the therapist between sessions are provided in order to help people learn and practice new skills and develop a life that they experience as worth living.

DBT skill lessons include the topics of mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Receiving portions of DBT can help some clients meet clinical goals. For example, many people have been taught some of the DBT skills in group programs or met with a therapist who used DBT techniques. While sampling DBT interventions can be effective for some, a DBT program isn’t considered adherent DBT without all four components being offered simultaneously.

What are the components of a comprehensive DBT program?

Comprehensive DBT has four components that work together to deliver the highest quality.

1.

Skills-training groups are a vital component of DBT treatment. Weekly 90-minute groups teach clients behavioral skills. Lessons and homework assignments include concrete practice with the skills of Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. Adolescent skills training programs offer an additional module called Middle Path skills, emphasizing ways to find synthesis in relationships. These categories of skills help clients increase awareness and stay in the present, assert needs effectively and with self-respect, identify and change emotional responses; and tolerate and accept painful situations that cannot be changed. CEBTOhio offers DBT skills training groups for both adult and adolescent clients.

2.

DBT individual therapy sessions are scheduled weekly and focus on enhancing client motivation while helping clients to apply the skills taught in group to specific challenges and events in their lives. Individual sessions run concurrently with DBT skills training.

3.

Telephone coaching is provided for in-the-moment support. The goal is to coach clients on how to effectively use their DBT skills to manage difficult situations in their everyday lives. Clients can call their individual therapist between sessions to receive coaching at the times when they need help the most.

4.

The DBT consultation team is focused on the people who provide DBT, including individual therapists, skills-training group leaders, case managers, and others who help treat the client. The consultation team provides support, motivation, and works to address burn out in DBT providers. Ongoing training is also a vital part of consultation team to ensure continued clinical excellence for members of a treatment team.

If you’re looking for treatment, contact us by phone or email to get started.
For professional training in this discipline, visit here for more information.

About DBT pre-treatment

One thing that sets DBT apart from other therapies is a pre-treatment period. It’s is like an orientation, allowing the therapist and client to build rapport, trust, collaboration and a foundational alliance that makes DBT effective.

Comprehensive DBT can be challenging, and we want to set realistic expectations for what’s involved. So one purpose of pre-treatment is to determine if DBT is the best fit for you right now. Another is to give you (and perhaps your family) enough understanding of what’s involved to evaluate if you’re prepared for the commitment required.

Pre-treatment usually takes about 4 sessions with your DBT therapist and covers these topics:

  • Goals for a life worth living
  • Biosocial theory
  • Modes and stages of DBT
  • Areas of dysregulation and target hierarchy
  • Orientation to skills group and phone coaching
  • Behavioral chain analysis
  • Client and therapist agreements
  • Caregiver involvement (if applicable)

The whole process tends to increase clients’ sense of control and motivation to engage in DBT.

If you’re hoping to hit the ground running, this process may feel frustrating at times. However, while your therapist is bringing information on DBT to the session, you are bringing your goals to the session. DBT needs both to help you build a life worth living!

Please share any concerns about pre-treatment with your therapist so you can problem-solve together. For adolescents and others with caregivers, pre-treatment typically includes at least one session with caregivers to prepare them for DBT and the Multifamily Skills Group.

Lastly, if you, your family, or the therapist decides that DBT is not the right fit, that’s OK; we’ll use that understanding to discuss other treatment options that may suit you better.

Pre-treatment sets the foundation for DBT and creates better outcomes. We look forward to starting DBT Pre-treatment with you.