Maybe you have heard about Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT. Or maybe you or a loved one has been referred to DBT… Whether you’ve attended therapy before or are newly exploring your options, DBT is a cutting-edge modality to know about. It works!

 Comprehensive DBT, the kind that has the most research to back up positive outcomes, uses both Individual DBT Therapy sessions as well as DBT Skills group sessions.

If you’re wondering whether DBT may be something that can help you manage your emotions, continue reading. Let’s explore what DBT is and what you should know about how DBT Skills group sessions impact your learning and emotional growth.

Understanding DBT

DBT is a “Third Wave” of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. While CBT is about change, DBT also incorporates acceptance. This focus on Acceptance and Change is what makes DBT a unique and effective treatment.  DBT is known as  talk therapy that is particularly useful with   individuals who feel emotions deeply and intensely. Initially, the goal of DBT was developed for those  those suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder. Over recent years, it has been adapted for use with many other mental health conditions, and is DBT is now a Prevention Model to develop Coping Skills in childhood or adolescence.

DBT is  effective with:

• The Anxiety Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression/Mood
• Eating disorders
• OCD
• PTSD
• ADHD
• Substance abuse

DBT combines the idea of accepting your current reality and then making changes for the better. While working with DBT, you’ll reflect on behavior trends and thought patterns, change any dysfunctional patterns, and learn how to cope with your emotions in a healthy and productive way. 

Overall, DBT can be a great tool for those who struggle with mood swings and managing their emotions due to the intensity.

DBT Skills – Not Your Typical Group Therapy

DBT has been the subject of research and has evidence-based material to back up its use. As it evolves and is applied to more diverse mental health conditions, the settings you may see DBT in are also evolving.

When you think of group therapy, you probably picture a circle of people who take turns sharing their personal stories. The goal is to find similar understanding and collective support for battling the issue at hand. 

DBT group sessions, however, are not your average group therapy. The group won’t spend time working through any one individual’s feelings and emotions. This type of work is done in the individual sessions. The group sessions will instead focus on learning new skills and putting them to use. 

A Group Therapy that is also a Class-Like Experience

DBT Skills Group will work on specific skill sets with multiple individuals present in the group. These DBT skills curriculum includes these areas: Core Mindfulness, Emotional Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness, Validation of Self & Others, and Middle Path. The group setting will allow you to practice your newly learned skills within a safe space with supportive others, before taking generalizing your skills  into the real world. 

Based on the curriculum and methodology of DBT Skills group program, the DBT Skills group can be easily compared to a class to learn about coping skills and  social interactions in addition to processing ones feelings. Half Classroom, half group therapy. There are different stages involved in the DBT process, and each week of the group sessions moves along the same guideline. 

Stages of  DBT Treatment

DBT can be broken down into four stages of treatment. Stage 1 focuses on the behaviors that are deemed the most serious or self-destructive. Stage 2 addresses any factors that may impact your quality of life. In stage 3, the focus shifts to any issues related to self-esteem and personal relationships. Finally, stage 4 helps improve quality of life. It focuses on experiencing happiness, setting and achieving goals, and strengthening relationships, living your “Life Worth Living”.

Time Considerations for DBT – The Minimum “Dose”

Unlike some other therapy methods, DBT has distinct markers of time to show positive results The minimum “dose” of DBT is  six months, or 24 Weeks. The DBT Curriculum for Adolescent and Adult Groups are 24 weeks. DBT skills it take time to learn. It is valuable for many clients to do a 2nd round of DBT Skills to truly integrate them and learn them. At Resilience, while we often see much improvement at the 6th month mark, we often see the greatest change at the 12th month mark

DBT is a commitment, but with are great benefits and results. DBT puts in real coping skills, real stepping stones for lasting and permanent change.

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Would you like to learn more about DBT? Schedule a session with us at www.ResilienceDBT.com to speak with us about how DBT can change your life!

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