Do you consistently feel your mind is being pulled in a hundred different directions at once? Do you have a hard time handling your emotions? Does this cause any problems in your relationships? If you answered “yes” to these questions, Joyful Living Behavioral Therapy in Eugene, Oregon, can help.
We offer dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for those struggling with emotional regulation, anxiety, or borderline personality disorder. Through individual sessions and skills training, we equip our clients with practical tools to reduce distress, increase emotional resilience, and navigate challenging situations more effectively. We do this in a compassionate, supportive environment, where clients feel comfortable and safe.
The Four Components of DBT
Dialectical behavior therapy focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas. These include:
Mindfulness
Mindfulness encourages individuals to stay fully present in the current moment without judgment. This skill is vital in helping individuals become more aware of their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can focus on the here and now, which helps reduce impulsivity and emotional reactions to stress.
Distress Tolerance
Many people try to avoid or suppress negative emotions, but dialectical behavior therapy teaches the importance of increasing one’s tolerance to distress. Distress tolerance skills help individuals accept and endure emotional pain rather than avoiding or reacting to it. These techniques are crucial in managing crises and reducing the likelihood of engaging in harmful behaviors as a coping mechanism.
Emotion Regulation
Dialectical behavior therapy also offers strategies to help individuals understand and manage intense emotions that often lead to disruptive behaviors or decision-making issues. Emotion regulation involves recognizing emotional triggers, reducing vulnerability to being overwhelmed by emotions, and learning how to shift negative emotional states into more manageable and constructive ones.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Building healthy relationships is essential for overall well-being. DBT’s interpersonal effectiveness skills help individuals communicate more assertively and confidently, while maintaining self-respect and the integrity of their relationships. These techniques foster healthier interactions by teaching clients how to set boundaries, express their needs, and handle conflicts without damaging relationships.
How Does Dialectical Behavior Therapy Work?
Many of us live with a constant stream of uncontrollable negative emotions right under our awareness. These emotions affect how we feel about ourselves and how we interact with other people, including friends, romantic partners, and family members.
Dialectical behavior therapy is used to help individuals find ways to manage their negative emotions, so they feel more balanced, in control, and able to interact respectfully and successfully. The message at the heart of DBT is acceptance and change.
When DBT Is Used
While dialectical behavioral therapy was initially developed to treat those with borderline personality disorder, research has since shown that DBT can successfully treat people with:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- PTSD
- Eating disorders
- Substance abuse
DBT is also effective in reducing self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation, and self-destructive tendencies by helping individuals build tolerance to distress and replace harmful coping mechanisms with healthier alternatives. In addition, dialectical behavioral therapy has shown positive outcomes in treating individuals with mood disorders, anger management issues, and chronic feelings of emptiness or instability.
What to Expect With DBT
Dialectical behavioral therapy typically consists of a combination of skills groups and individual therapy sessions. The individual therapy sessions clients to have one-on-one contact with a trained therapist to build life skills, address obstacles, and provide encouragement. The DBT skills group interactions give individuals the opportunity to practice skills with others and offer mutual support.
Finding a DBT Therapist
If you are interested in exploring dialectical behavioral therapy, look for a therapist with specialized training and experience in DBT strategies. The Linehan Board of Certification is a non-profit organization that has developed certification standards for DBT clinicians. It’s also important that you find a professional you feel comfortable with.
If you’d like to learn more about dialectic behavior therapy and the ways it can help, contact Joyful Living Behavioral Therapy, serving individuals across the Eugene, OR, area.