Dialectical behaviour therapy is a type of cognitive-behavioural therapy. The main goals in this type of therapy are to teach people to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress and emotions, and improve their relationships with others.

What can dialectic behavioural therapy help with?

Dialectic behavioural therapy is a successful treatment for these conditions:

  • Bipolar mood disorder
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
  • Eating disorders
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Substance use disorder
  • Self-destructive behaviour and suicidal thoughts

What to expect

Dialectic therapy is designed to comprehensively and systematically treat issues in order of severity. Since DBT was initially intended for people with suicidal tendencies and severe emotional issues, treatment happens in various stages:

  • Stage 1: In this step, the most self-destructive behaviour, such as suicide attempts or self-injury, is addressed.
  • Stage 2: Patients, together with their therapists, begin to address quality-of-life skills, such as regulating their emotions, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
  • Stage 3: Treatment focuses on improving self-esteem and relationships
  • Stage 4: Marésa will work with you to help you achieve and maintain an ongoing capacity for happiness and success.

How Does DBT Work?

DBT therapy focuses on four ways to enhance life skills:

  • Distress tolerance: Feeling intense emotions, such as anger and sadness without reacting impulsively or using self-injury or substance abuse to lessen the distress.
  • Emotion regulation: Identifying, labelling, and readjusting emotions.
  • Mindfulness: Becoming more aware of yourself and others and being attentive to the present moment.
  • Interpersonal effectiveness: Navigating conflict effectively and interacting assertively