What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), including both individual therapy and group therapy, is a well-established form of cognitive behavior therapy practiced widely in mental health settings. The meaning of DBT therapy is rooted in its ability to enhance quality of life by teaching clients how to manage emotions, build interpersonal effectiveness, and accept themselves while making positive behavioral changes.
The definition of DBT therapy emphasizes a structured, skills-based approach, proven effective for treating various mental health conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), intense emotional swings, suicidal behavior, eating disorders, and other forms of severe emotional distress. DBT equips people in handling overwhelming emotions, regulating emotions, making lasting changes, and developing a life worth living.
As an evidence-based treatment, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) supports clients in accepting themselves while changing harmful behaviors and thought patterns, going beyond symptom management to help individuals achieve true emotional and behavioral growth.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
The Four Components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT Skills Training Group
DBT skills training group therapy consists of weekly sessions where clients can learn and practice essential DBT skills to build emotional resilience, develop healthy coping strategies, and manage day-to-day stress in a supportive group environment. The skills training group is similar to a classroom, led by a trained DBT therapist who introduces and practices skills such as mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
DBT Individual Therapy
DBT individual therapy programs offer personalized, one-on-one treatment tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of each client. Individual sessions integrate DBT skills, such as emotion regulation and distress tolerance, while also supporting the client’s motivations, fostering behavioral change, and addressing issues such as suicidal ideation, impulsivity, or managing relationships.
DBT Consultation Team
The DBT consultation team plays a vital role in DBT therapy, as it keeps therapists up-to-date, consistent, and supported in delivering the latest evidence-based care. Therapists collaborate weekly as a team to share expertise, maintain high standards across all DBT, including group and individual therapy, and ensure optimal outcomes.
Behavioral Skill Modules
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) programs, especially DBT therapy in Omaha, include four primary skill modules:
- Mindfulness Skills: Practicing presence and awareness, serving as the core foundation for managing emotions and stress.
- Distress Tolerance Skills: Building resilience to cope with distress and crises healthily.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: Learning strategies for healthy communication, expressing needs, and maintaining relationships, a key focus in group therapy DBT in Omaha.
- Emotion Regulation Skills: Techniques to modulate and manage intense emotional experiences to prevent emotional overwhelm and improve decision-making.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Treatment Stages
There are four treatment stages in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), each designed to meet you where you are and guide you toward a life worth living:
Stage 1
In Stage 1, the client is unhappy with their behavior being out of control. Clients may be involved in types of self-destructive behaviors such as self-harm, suicidal tendencies, and alcohol and drug use. When clients first start their treatment, they very often describe themselves as living in hell. The goal at the end of Stage 1 is for the client to go from self-destructive behaviors to achieving behavioral control, laying the groundwork to build a life worth living.
Stage 2
In Stage 2, the client is described as living a life of quiet desperation. Although their behavior is under control, they continue to suffer most often from traumatic events, feeling the loss of self-worth and low self-esteem. The aim of Stage 2 is to move the client from a space of quiet desperation to a calmer space of emotional experiencing and being comfortable with this feeling, while improving their interpersonal relationships.
Stage 3
In Stage 3, the client faces the challenges of learning to live life one moment at a time. They set out long-term intentions, short-term goals, and start to build their self-respect. One small step at a time, clients learn to find peace and happiness within themselves. The goal here is for the client to learn to lead a life of normality, with happiness and sadness, and can maintain therapy sessions to ensure they continue making progress in all aspects of their life.
Stage 4
In Stage 4, patients will learn to find a deeper meaning through spiritual existence to meet their life’s goals. During the final stage of DBT, clients begin to feel like part of a greater whole and begin to experience joy and freedom, building a quality of life that aligns with their values.
How Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Omaha Helps Different Populations
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in Omaha clinics offers both individual and group therapy, delivering tailored care to a diverse range of people and mental health conditions.
- Adolescents/Young Adults: DBT therapy in Omaha helps teenagers and young adults struggling with intense emotional swings, impulsivity, or disruptive behaviors by teaching emotion regulation and enhancing decision-making skills.
- Clients with Substance Use or Eating Disorders: DBT, including specialized skills groups, addresses underlying emotional dysregulation and self-destructive patterns.
- PTSD and Trauma Survivors: DBT skills training group therapy supports trauma processing, emotion regulation, and healthier coping.
- Couples/Families: Group therapy, including family-focused sessions, fosters improved communication and teamwork, benefiting everyone’s quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main focus of DBT therapy programs?
DBT therapy specializes in both group and individual approaches, focusing on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and building a meaningful life while helping manage symptoms of BPD, mood swings, and more.
What types of DBT group therapy are available?
DBT group therapy programs include skills training groups and family or adolescent programs, all guided by trained DBT therapists to improve emotional resilience and healthy communication.
How do I know if DBT is right for me?
If you struggle with intense emotional episodes, difficulty managing emotions, suicidal behavior, impulsivity, or challenging relationships, DBT, with options available in Omaha, may offer valuable benefits.
How long do DBT therapy programs typically last?
DBT therapy generally spans about a year, with weekly group sessions, individual therapy, and ongoing support for building and maintaining a life worth living.
What can I expect during DBT treatment?
During DBT treatment, you can expect a combination of individual therapy, group skills training sessions, and access to therapist consultation teams. This comprehensive approach helps you build practical skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness, all of which are tailored to address complex mental health challenges throughout your DBT treatment.
Blue Sky Counseling – Mental Health Counseling & DBT Therapy in Omaha, NE
I, Carly Spring, M.S., LIMHP, LADC, CPC, offer my specialized expertise to assist in the healing process to anyone who may be experiencing and suffering from a vast spectrum of mental health issues. Such mental health issues include behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, grief, loss, trauma, addiction issues, and life transitions. I believe strongly in applying a holistic perspective addressing your whole person not just the bits and pieces of you. Contact us with any questions or to discuss gambling addiction services in Omaha today.
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