Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

Experiencing overwhelming and intense emotions is something that we all go through at times, but when we aren’t able to use effective skills and strategies to manage these emotions, we may find that they begin to affect many areas of our lives, including our relationships with others, our outlook on life, and how we feel about ourselves. While this isn’t something that we want to do, as we are all simply doing the best with the skills we have, many of us often wonder why things don’t turn out well when we struggle with the curveballs that life throws at us.

This is where psychologists can use Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) as an incredible tool in teaching us how to experience and cope with negative emotions in healthy ways, without giving them the power to take over.

What Is Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is designed to teach people healthy ways to regulate their emotions, cope with stress, be present in the moment, and improve their relationships with others. It focuses on teaching practical techniques and strategies that can be used when experiencing a stressful situation, dealing with a challenging person, handling a crisis, and more. DBT can help those who feel intense emotions understand and accept what they are feeling, and create some breathing space between their emotions and their actions. Ultimately, what you learn with DBT can pave the way for you to live life to the fullest, empowering you to confidently cope with overwhelming emotions and move forward in your life with a toolbox of strategies under your belt.

Who Can Benefit From Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?

DBT was originally developed in the late 1980s to help those with Borderline Personality Disorder, but it has since been adapted to be used in helping to treat:

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Bipolar disorder
Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Major depressive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Self-destructive behaviours such as substance abuse or self-harm
Suicidal behavior

What Is The Evidence Behind Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?

Researchers have found that DBT is effective regardless of a person's age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity.
DBT is very effective in the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and reducing the suicide risk in those with BPD. One study found that after a year of DBT, more than 75% of people with BPD no longer met the diagnostic criteria for the condition.
Research suggests that DBT could also be a successful treatment for other mental health conditions including substance abuse, binge-eating, PTSD, depression, suicidal behaviour, anger, and anxiety,7 and in children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

What Is Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?

Who Can Benefit From Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?

What Is The Evidence Behind Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?

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