Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesWhat DBT Can Help WithBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Techniques

What DBT Can Help With

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a modified type ofcognitive behavioral therapy(CBT). Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others.

DBT was originally intended to treatborderline personality disorder (BPD), but it has been adapted to treat other mental health conditions beyond BPD. It can help people who have difficulty with emotional regulation or are exhibiting self-destructive behaviors (such aseating disordersandsubstance use disorders).This type oftherapyis also sometimes used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

1:45Everything You Need to Know About DBT Therapy

1:45

Everything You Need to Know About DBT Therapy

We Tried 100+ Therapy Services and Apps—And These Are the 8 Best for Online CBT

DBT Techniques

DBT has evolved to become an evidence-based psychotherapy approach that is used to treat many conditions. Settings in which DBT are often used include:

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Some of the strategies and techniques that are used in DBT include the following.

Core Mindfulness

One important benefit of DBT is the development ofmindfulness skills.Mindfulness helps you focus on the present or “live in the moment.” This helps you pay attention to what is happening inside you (your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and impulses) as well asusing your sensesto tune in to what’s happening around you (what you see, hear, smell, and touch) in nonjudgmental ways.

Mindfulness skills help you slow down and focus on using healthy coping skills when you are in the midst of emotional pain. The strategy can also help you stay calm and avoid engaging in automatic negative thought patterns and impulsive behavior.

Sample Exercise: Observe Mindfulness SkillPay attention to your breath. Take note of the sensation of inhaling and exhaling. Watch your belly rise and fall as you breathe.

Sample Exercise: Observe Mindfulness Skill

Pay attention to your breath. Take note of the sensation of inhaling and exhaling. Watch your belly rise and fall as you breathe.

With So Many Meditation Apps Out There, We’ve Narrowed Down Our 5 Favorites

Distress Tolerance

Distress toleranceskills help you accept yourself and your current situation. DBT teaches several techniques for handling a crisis, including:

Distress tolerance techniques help prepare you for intense emotions and empower you to cope with them with a more positive long-term outlook.

Sample Exercise: Putting Your Body in Charge

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Interpersonal effectiveness helps you to become more assertive in a relationship (for example, expressing your needs and be able to say “no”) while still keeping a relationship positive and healthy. You will learn to listen and communicate more effectively, deal with challenging people, and respect yourself and others.

Sample Exercise: GIVEUse the acronym GIVE to improve relationships and positive communication:Gentle. Don’t attack, threaten, or judge othersInterest. Show interest with good listening skills (don’t interrupt someone else to speak)Validate. Acknowledge the other person’s thoughts and feelingsEasy. Try to have an easy attitude (smile often and be light-hearted)

Sample Exercise: GIVE

Use the acronym GIVE to improve relationships and positive communication:Gentle. Don’t attack, threaten, or judge othersInterest. Show interest with good listening skills (don’t interrupt someone else to speak)Validate. Acknowledge the other person’s thoughts and feelingsEasy. Try to have an easy attitude (smile often and be light-hearted)

Use the acronym GIVE to improve relationships and positive communication:

What Is Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT)?

Emotion Regulation

Emotion regulationlets you navigate powerful feelings in a more effective way. The skills you learn will help you to identify, name, and change your emotions.

When you are able to recognize and cope with intense negative emotions (for example, anger), it reduces your emotional vulnerability and helps you have more positive emotional experiences.

Sample Exercise: Opposite ActionIdentify how you’re feeling and do the opposite. If you are feeling sad and want to withdraw from friends and family, make plans to see your loved ones.

Sample Exercise: Opposite Action

Identify how you’re feeling and do the opposite. If you are feeling sad and want to withdraw from friends and family, make plans to see your loved ones.

What Are the 4 Stages of DBT?

Dialectical behavior therapy is also divided into four stages of treatment:

What Is DBT Used For?

Though developed with BPD in mind, DBT might also be an effective treatment for:

Dialectical vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Benefits of DBT

In DBT, the patient and therapist work to resolve the apparent contradiction between self-acceptance and change to bring about positive changes in the individual in treatment. Part of this process involves offeringvalidation, which helps people become more likely to cooperate and less likely to experience distress at the idea of change.

In practice, the therapist validates that an individual’s actions “make sense” within the context of their personal experiences without necessarily agreeing that the actions are the best approach to solving a problem.

Each therapeutic setting has its own structure and goals, but the characteristics of DBT can be found in group skills training, individual psychotherapy, and phone coaching.These are the six main points of DBT:

RecapThe six main points of DBT are to develop skills related to (1) accepting circumstances and making changes, (2) analyzing behaviors and learning healthier patterns of responding, (3) changing unhelpful, maladaptive, or negative thoughts, (4) developing collaboration skills, (5) learning new skills, and (6) receiving support.

Recap

The six main points of DBT are to develop skills related to (1) accepting circumstances and making changes, (2) analyzing behaviors and learning healthier patterns of responding, (3) changing unhelpful, maladaptive, or negative thoughts, (4) developing collaboration skills, (5) learning new skills, and (6) receiving support.

Effectiveness of DBT

Because this approach to therapy is able to help people successfully improve their coping skills, they are able to develop effective ways to manage and expressstrong emotions. Researchers have also found that DBT is effective regardless of a person’s age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity.

Research also suggests that DBT may also be useful in the treatment of children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

Things to Consider About Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT requires a significant commitment of time. In addition to regular therapy sessions, people are also required to do “homework” to work on skills outside of the individual, group, and phone counseling sessions. This may pose a challenge for people who have difficulty keeping up with these assignments on a regular basis.

Practicing some of the skills may also be challenging for some people. At different stages of treatment, people explore traumatic experiences and emotional pain, which may be upsetting.

Can You Do Dialectical Behavior Therapy On Your Own?

DBT is complex, and it’s generally not something that people can do on their own without the guidance of a trained therapist.

However, there are some things you can do on your own to help you develop new coping skills. For example, mindfulness, breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation are all skills you can utilize to improve your ability to tolerate distress.

It is important to remember that this should not be used in place of professional help. If you’re struggling with a mental health condition, it’s always best to seek out the help of a qualified mental health professional.

How to Get Started With Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The best way to find out if DBT is right for you is to talk with a professional who is trained in the method. They will evaluate your symptoms, treatment history, and therapy goals to see if DBT might be a good fit.

If you or a loved one might benefit from DBT, it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider or mental health professional who is trained in the approach. That said, it’s not always easy to find DBT therapists.

You can also ask your provider, current therapist, or another trusted mental health professional to refer you to a colleague who specializes in DBT. You may also find online therapists who offer DBT therapy.

How to Find a DBT Therapist

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Linehan Institute Behavioral Tech.What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?.May J, Richardi T, Barth K.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Mental Health Clinician. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62Van Dijk S, Jeffrey J, Katz MR.A randomized, controlled, pilot study of dialectical behavior therapy skills in a psychoeducational group for individuals with bipolar disorder.J Affect Disord. 2013;145(3):386-393. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.05.054Feliu-Soler A, Pascual JC, Borràs X, Portella MJ, Martín-Blanco A, Armario A, Alvarez E, Pérez V, Soler J.Effects of dialectical behaviour therapy-mindfulness training on emotional reactivity in borderline personality disorder: Preliminary results.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2014;21(4):363-70. doi:10.1002/cpp.1837May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62Goodman M, Carpenter D, Tang CY, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder.J Psychiatr Res. 2014;57:108-116. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.06.020Behavioral Tech.How DBT helps.Stotts AL, Northrup TF.The promise of third-wave behavioral therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders.Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;2:75-81. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.028Stiglmayr C, Stecher-Mohr J, Wagner T, et al.Effectiveness of dialectic behavioral therapy in routine outpatient care: The Berlin Borderline Study.Bord Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2014;1(1):20. doi:10.1186/2051-6673-1-20Linehan MM, Korslund KE, Harned MS, Gallop RJ, Lungu A, Neacsiu AD, McDavid J, Comtois KA, Murray-Gregory AM.Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: A randomized clinical trial and component analysis.JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 May;72(5):475-82. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039Perepletchikova F, Nathanson D, Axelrod SR, et al.Randomized clinical trial of dialectical behavior therapy for preadolescent children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: Feasibility and outcomes.Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2017;56(10):832-840. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.789

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Linehan Institute Behavioral Tech.What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?.May J, Richardi T, Barth K.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Mental Health Clinician. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62Van Dijk S, Jeffrey J, Katz MR.A randomized, controlled, pilot study of dialectical behavior therapy skills in a psychoeducational group for individuals with bipolar disorder.J Affect Disord. 2013;145(3):386-393. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.05.054Feliu-Soler A, Pascual JC, Borràs X, Portella MJ, Martín-Blanco A, Armario A, Alvarez E, Pérez V, Soler J.Effects of dialectical behaviour therapy-mindfulness training on emotional reactivity in borderline personality disorder: Preliminary results.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2014;21(4):363-70. doi:10.1002/cpp.1837May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62Goodman M, Carpenter D, Tang CY, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder.J Psychiatr Res. 2014;57:108-116. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.06.020Behavioral Tech.How DBT helps.Stotts AL, Northrup TF.The promise of third-wave behavioral therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders.Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;2:75-81. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.028Stiglmayr C, Stecher-Mohr J, Wagner T, et al.Effectiveness of dialectic behavioral therapy in routine outpatient care: The Berlin Borderline Study.Bord Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2014;1(1):20. doi:10.1186/2051-6673-1-20Linehan MM, Korslund KE, Harned MS, Gallop RJ, Lungu A, Neacsiu AD, McDavid J, Comtois KA, Murray-Gregory AM.Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: A randomized clinical trial and component analysis.JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 May;72(5):475-82. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039Perepletchikova F, Nathanson D, Axelrod SR, et al.Randomized clinical trial of dialectical behavior therapy for preadolescent children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: Feasibility and outcomes.Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2017;56(10):832-840. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.789

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The Linehan Institute Behavioral Tech.What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?.May J, Richardi T, Barth K.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Mental Health Clinician. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62Van Dijk S, Jeffrey J, Katz MR.A randomized, controlled, pilot study of dialectical behavior therapy skills in a psychoeducational group for individuals with bipolar disorder.J Affect Disord. 2013;145(3):386-393. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.05.054Feliu-Soler A, Pascual JC, Borràs X, Portella MJ, Martín-Blanco A, Armario A, Alvarez E, Pérez V, Soler J.Effects of dialectical behaviour therapy-mindfulness training on emotional reactivity in borderline personality disorder: Preliminary results.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2014;21(4):363-70. doi:10.1002/cpp.1837May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62Goodman M, Carpenter D, Tang CY, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder.J Psychiatr Res. 2014;57:108-116. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.06.020Behavioral Tech.How DBT helps.Stotts AL, Northrup TF.The promise of third-wave behavioral therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders.Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;2:75-81. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.028Stiglmayr C, Stecher-Mohr J, Wagner T, et al.Effectiveness of dialectic behavioral therapy in routine outpatient care: The Berlin Borderline Study.Bord Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2014;1(1):20. doi:10.1186/2051-6673-1-20Linehan MM, Korslund KE, Harned MS, Gallop RJ, Lungu A, Neacsiu AD, McDavid J, Comtois KA, Murray-Gregory AM.Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: A randomized clinical trial and component analysis.JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 May;72(5):475-82. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039Perepletchikova F, Nathanson D, Axelrod SR, et al.Randomized clinical trial of dialectical behavior therapy for preadolescent children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: Feasibility and outcomes.Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2017;56(10):832-840. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.789

The Linehan Institute Behavioral Tech.What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?.

May J, Richardi T, Barth K.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Mental Health Clinician. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62

Van Dijk S, Jeffrey J, Katz MR.A randomized, controlled, pilot study of dialectical behavior therapy skills in a psychoeducational group for individuals with bipolar disorder.J Affect Disord. 2013;145(3):386-393. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.05.054

Feliu-Soler A, Pascual JC, Borràs X, Portella MJ, Martín-Blanco A, Armario A, Alvarez E, Pérez V, Soler J.Effects of dialectical behaviour therapy-mindfulness training on emotional reactivity in borderline personality disorder: Preliminary results.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2014;21(4):363-70. doi:10.1002/cpp.1837

May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS.Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62-67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62

Goodman M, Carpenter D, Tang CY, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder.J Psychiatr Res. 2014;57:108-116. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.06.020

Behavioral Tech.How DBT helps.

Stotts AL, Northrup TF.The promise of third-wave behavioral therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders.Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;2:75-81. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.028

Stiglmayr C, Stecher-Mohr J, Wagner T, et al.Effectiveness of dialectic behavioral therapy in routine outpatient care: The Berlin Borderline Study.Bord Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2014;1(1):20. doi:10.1186/2051-6673-1-20

Linehan MM, Korslund KE, Harned MS, Gallop RJ, Lungu A, Neacsiu AD, McDavid J, Comtois KA, Murray-Gregory AM.Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: A randomized clinical trial and component analysis.JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 May;72(5):475-82. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039

Perepletchikova F, Nathanson D, Axelrod SR, et al.Randomized clinical trial of dialectical behavior therapy for preadolescent children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: Feasibility and outcomes.Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2017;56(10):832-840. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.789

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