I promised that I would post an explanation of what DBT is. DBT stands for Dialectical Behevioral Therapy, although that doesn't really tell you a lot. Dialectics are pairs of opposites, or extremes, and the object of DBT is to find those extremes, and balance them, finding the middle ground. For example, you might tell yourself "I am completely worthless" and also "I have to be perfect in all areas in order to be okay." Those are both extreme ideas, and if you hold on to both of those extremes, it would be very hard to ever accept yourself for who you are. DBT would attempt to find the wisdom that is in each of your statements and bring them together into a synthesis such as "I am okay just the way that I am, AND I have things that I would like to work on and change about myself."

In DBT Skills Training, there are four modules, and the skills all fit into those areas.

Mindfulness is developing more awareness of yourself, your thoughts, your feelings, and your environment, very similar to grounding skills. Mindfulness is helpful in managing dissociation, thinking errors, and any problems that you might have in connecting with yourself and real life.

Interpersonal Effectiveness is very similar to assertiveness training. It teaches you to monitor your relationships, identify what is important to you, prioritize, and ask for what you need and want in a way that enhances or improves both the way that others feel about you, and your own self-respect.

Emotion Regulation helps you to understand and manage your feelings or emotions appropriately, rather than shutting them off or letting them blow up and get out of control.

Distress Tolerance is about getting through intense and painful emotions without losing control, shutting down, having a melt-down, acting impulsively, etc.

Although DBT was originally developed as a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, it has been found to be useful for addictions, impulsive behaviors, depression, anxiety, dissociation, PTSD, and other applications as well. The skills are basic skills that probably most people have not perfected but people who are effective in life are generally able to use at least some of these skills in ways that work for them (although they probably don't name them and analyze which skill they are using and why on a day to day basis). All of us have some skills, and most people have room for improvement in some areas.

DBT is a Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, that also uses insight and borrows from Eastern philosophy and spirituality. Basically, it is CBT with a kick.

Feel free to jump on in if you have anything to say, or any questions, here, and/or join us next Thursday.