Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a therapeutic methodology developed by Marsha Linehan, a psychology researcher at the University of Washington. Though initially DBT focused its treatment on those with the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, DBT has been found to be effective for a variety of mental health challenges, including symptoms and behaviors related to mood disorders and other diagnoses, including self-injury.   DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques with Mindfulness and Acceptance strategies taken from Buddhist Meditation practices.

The Modules

• Mindfulness is one of the core concepts behind all elements of DBT.
• Mindfulness is the capacity to pay attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment.  Mindfulness is all about living in the moment, experiencing one’s emotions and senses fully, yet with perspective.
• It is considered the foundation for the other skills taught in DBT because it helps individuals accept and tolerate the powerful emotions they may feel when challenging their habits or exposing themselves to upsetting situations.
• The concept of mindfulness and meditative exercises used to teach it are derived from traditional Buddhist practice, though the version taught in DBT does not involve any religious or metaphysical concepts.

• Interpersonal Effectiveness patterns taught in DBT skills training are very similar to those taught in many assertiveness and interpersonal problem-solving classes.
• They include effective strategies for asking for what one needs, saying no, and coping with interpersonal conflict.

• Emotional Regulation:  DBT recognizes that people with mood issues tend to frequently be emotionally intense and labile.
• They can be angry, intensely frustrated, depressed or anxious.  
• The Emotion Regulation module skills include identifying and labeling emotions, identifying obstacles to changing emotions, reducing vulnerability to emotion mind, increasing positive emotional events, increasing mindfulness to current emotions, taking opposite action, and applying distress tolerance techniques.

• Distress Tolerance:  Many current approaches to mental health treatment focus on changing distressing events and circumstances.  They have paid little attention to accepting, finding meaning for, and tolerating distress.
• DBT emphasizes learning to bear pain skillfully.
• Distress Tolerance skills constitute a natural development from mindfulness skills.
• They have to do with the ability to accept, in a non-evaluative and non-judgmental fashion, both oneself and the current situation.  This does not mean that it is one of approval or resignation.
• The goal is to become capable of calmly recognizing negative situations and their impact, rather than becoming overwhelmed or hiding from them.  This allows the individual to make wise decisions about whether and how to take action, rather than falling into the destructive behaviors.

Front Range DBT offers 12 week groups for:

• Adults
• Adolescents

We offer:

• Individual DBT
• Family DBT
• Group DBT
• Parent DBT Groups