Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that focuses on helping individuals manage intense emotions, build healthier relationships, and develop coping skills.

DBT combines mindfulness, emotional regulation, and problem-solving to help individuals cope with unpleasant emotions, stress, self-harm, and emotion dysregulation.

Ultimately, DBT promotes long-term emotional stability and helps individuals build healthier relationships and coping strategies.

DBT teaches skills in four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Within Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), clients learn how to accept difficult emotions (their experience is valid) while working toward positive changes (they need to make positive changes to manage emotions moving forward), which balances the need for self-acceptance with the desire for growth.

The word “dialectical” refers to “the existence of opposites”. Within dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) people transition from thinking in a “polarized” way, to a “dialectical” way, meaning they learn skills & strategies to embrace the nuance of the “grey area” as opposed to thinking in “black or white”. Essentially, being able to think dialectically means to be able to accept that two truths can co-exist and to be able to hold two truths at the same time.

DBT is particularly helpful for individuals with borderline personality disorder, self-harming behaviours, suicidal ideation, emotion regulation difficulties, substance abuse concerns or addiction issues, eating disorder, and trauma or complex trauma. It’s also effective for those facing relationship challenges or chronic emotional distress.