Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) in Westchester, New York
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Are you someone who needs more than traditional talk therapy? Do you feel as though your toolbox of coping skills is lacking? Do you struggle with regulating your emotions? Do you ever find that your stress gets to a point that it is unmanageable? Do you struggle with how to communicate and interact with other people?
Do you struggle with Depression, Anxiety or any other mental health conditions? Although DBT was initially created for Borderline Personality Disorder and other Personality Disorders, it also can be helpful with many other mental health conditions as well.
Has your Depression gotten to the point where you have thought about self-harm or that your life isn’t worth living? Maybe your Anxiety has gotten so intense and you need some hands-on skills that can reduce the intensity and help you get back to your day to day life.
Are you having issues in your current relationships in your life, especially in terms of setting boundaries? Maybe you need help in learning how to effectively say no. DBT can help with all of these things. DBT can be very helpful for teens as it is a concrete skill set that they can utilize.
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that utilizes different strategies including mindfulness and acceptance. It can help you to live in the moment, accept life as it is, develop healthy coping strategies, regulate your emotions and improve your relationships with others. It can be very helpful with self-destructive behaviors. It allows us to analyze the areas of our behaviors where we might be falling short or coping in a maladaptive or negative way.
There are 4 main topic areas that are covered in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Under each topic, there are a variety of hands-on skills that can be used outside of session. These 4 areas are Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness skills is the core of DBT. These skills help to teach us to be less judgmental, to live in the moment, and most importantly to observe the moment for what it actually is. Sometimes people might hear the word mindfulness and assume that there is a spiritual aspect, and although there are ways to weave spirituality in, it is not at all a necessity to use the skills. One of the main principles of DBT, specifically mindfulness, is Wise Mind. This is when we are being true to our emotions, but using reason and logic. Some examples of mindfulness skills are Grounding Techniques, Meditation, and Mindful walking or eating, just to name a few. The other 3 areas of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy build off the principles we learn in Mindfulness.
Emotional Regulation
Emotion Regulation is how we manage the intensity of our emotions. Emotions serve a purpose. They tell us what we need to know and they protect us. We would never want to get rid of them all together, but sometimes we do need to manage their intensity. Part of that is understanding what exactly they do for us. Lastly, Emotion Regulation Skills also help us to increase our emotional resilience, which will make it less likely that you become painfully emotional. We cannot avoid pain all together, but we can reduce suffering when we know how to manage our emotions.
Distress Tolerance
Distress Tolerance is for crisis situations. This is when stress gets to a point that it is unmanageable, and we need some type of skill that will allow us to deal with it without making it worse. Crisis Survival Skills are for when we need to be able to tolerate painful emotions, urges and events, when you cannot make things better right away. There are also Reality Acceptance Skills which show us how to reduce suffering through acceptance of your life.
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills help us to maintain and improve relationships, and manage conflicts appropriately and effectively. Some of these skills include ways to ask for what you want and how to say no effectively. The key component is maintaining respect for yourself and allowing the other person to continue liking you throughout the process. Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills also teach us how to build relationships and end destructive ones.
Our Approach to DBT
Your Dialectical Behavioral Therapist In Westchester will provide a structured way to learn the skills, either in an individual format or Group Therapy format. This allows you to work through all the modules and gain a greater understanding of the skills. During your individual session with your DBT Therapist, you will also make sure to figure out where the skills are fitting into your life and whether or not you are using them in a constructive way.
DBT also allows you to do a Chain Analysis of your behavior. This can show us where we are having a breakdown of skills and our self-destructive patterns. We might also add you to utilize a Diary Card in between sessions which keeps track of your Mood and Skill Use.
During your individual session, you will also have time to check in about current stressors that happen week to week. This is important in working with your DBT Therapist in Westchester, NY so you can understand patterns, create new coping strategies and create a life that is worth living.
Involving Supportive People in DBT Therapy
In any type of therapy, support can be extremely helpful. We also encourage the people around you, whether it is family, a partner or friends, to be versed in DBT and support your skill use. They can provide reminders and do the skills alongside the person in treatment, because DBT can help everyone. We offer the option individually and in Group Therapy to learn how to support someone in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
This is not at all a necessity to work with us, but something can be recommended based off the individual, their support system and where they are in their treatment.
We are here to support you in expanding your toolbox of coping skills on your journey to a life worth living. We are trained and practice DBT at Empowered Wellness Mental Health Counseling in Westchester, NY. Call us today to set up your free 15 minute consultation and you can learn how DBT can work to change your life!