Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
What is DBT?
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of talking therapy. It's based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), but it's specially adapted for individuals who feel emotions very intensely.
DBT aims to help you:
Understand and accept your challenging emotions
Learn new skills to manage them
Make positive modifications in your life
'Dialectical' means attempting to understand how two things that seem opposite could both be true. For instance, accepting yourself and changing your behavior might feel contradictory. Whereas DBT teaches that it's possible for you to achieve both these goals together.
“Before DBT, I felt like the only answer was suicide... through learning various skills in DBT, I now can ride the waves of my depression rather than letting them swallow me.”
DBT or CBT! What's the difference between them?
The main difference between CBT and DBT is a matter of emphasis: CBT concentrates on thought patterns and their redirection; DBT concentrates on balance and the relationship between acceptance and change. Both Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aim to ultimately help clients change their thought patterns.
