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.