Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
If you have problems regulating your emotions, thinking patterns, and behaviors that lead to misery and distress, it’s time to look at what’s going on.
At Minisink Psychology we use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to teach principles (e.g., dialectics, validation, non-judgmentalness, mindfulness, etc.) to assist you.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
DBT is a comprehensive evidence-based treatment that was designed and researched to treat adolescents and adults with a range of problem behaviors, typically related to difficulty regulating emotions.
DBT has the strongest research support of any intervention for teens and adults struggling with depression or anxiety, in addition to those coping with suicidal or self-harm behavior. DBT has also proven to be effective in treating addictive and eating disordered behaviors. Recently, DBT has been adapted and researched for treating children with difficulty regulating their emotions.
Ways that Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help:
Discover the leading treatment for learning how to regulate thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. We work with adults & adolescents.
Enhance motivation and desire to live fully in your life
Improve overall quality of life and create a life worth living
Improve emotion management
Improve interpersonal relating and communicating
Decrease self-destructive behaviors
And enhance your ability to get through crisis situations
Who is it for?
DBT skills are useful for everyone. We all have emotions, and learning to accurately recognize them in ourselves and others, process difficult emotions appropriately, and relate effectively with others in the environment are some of our goals.
In regards to suicidal or self-harm behavior, DBT has the strongest research support of any intervention out there. It’s also proven to be effective in treating addictive and eating disorders, those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as depression, anxiety, PTSD, mood and bipolar, and a variety of other symptoms.
We can help you create a life worth living, one present moment at a time.
Eastern meets Western principles
DBT uses both Western and Eastern principles and practices to help people balance acceptance and change, two opposing forces that generally create a rift for people who are struggling.
It emphasizes the development of four skill sets:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Distress Tolerance
What is a DBT-LBC Certified Clinician?
DBT-LBC Certified clinicians have the experience and expertise to provide DBT according to the model developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. The DBT-Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC) recognizes providers and programs that offer DBT in a way that consistently conforms to evidence-based research for DBT.
Minisink Psychology & Psychotherapy founder and therapist Suzannah Espinosa, PhD is a DBT-LBC™ Certified Clinician and currently offers DBT for adults and DBT-A for older adolescents and families.
FAQs
What is the goal of DBT?
Our goal is to help you build a life worth living. During therapy, we work with you to formulate and reach your own personal goals by understanding your own reactions to distress and using DBT skills and other strategies.
How is DBT different from CBT?
DBT is a form of CBT. DBT uses all of the strategies from CBT, with much more emphasis on emotion than is found in traditional CBT. Learning how to identify emotions, experience them effectively, regulate them, and increase pleasant emotions are all strongly emphasized in DBT.
Can I do DBT and keep working with my current therapist?
We typically don’t recommend that clients receive treatment from multiple therapists during the same time. For this reason, we ask that client pause treatment with their individual therapists while in DBT.
Do you offer weekend appointments?
Unfortunately we do not offer weekend appointments.
Let’s Talk About What Healing Could Look Like for You
You don’t have to figure it out on your own. And you don’t have to rush into extreme solutions. Let’s build something solid—together.