Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured therapy that focuses on teaching four core skills (mindfulness, acceptance & distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness) to help you create a good life for yourself. You work on those skills through a series of lessons and then start applying them to your life.
This free guide has approximately 40 short DBT lessons. Each lesson includes a short video and then an exercise with an accompanying worksheet. Many readers use them between sessions with their therapist or you can use them as a self-study course to do on your own. Many readers use these at-home exercises in conjunction with a therapist and many readers use them as a self-study guide.
DBT is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on helping people change unhelpful thought
patterns. DBT takes those CBT ideas or challenging unhelpful thought patterns, but also adds additional elements like mindfulness, acceptance and distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills to give you more tools for dealing with hard situations. Dialectical (the D is DBT) meets opposites, and comes from the idea of combining two of those ideas - change and acceptance.
The skills focus on four core skills, and for each skill there are around 10 lessons to help you develop that skill. Clients usually start with Mindfulness to increase their general awareness of your thoughts and emotions. Then focus on the skills that will provide the most benefit.
Each lesson is structured with a learning component that takes around 5 minutes to complete. Then there is an accompanying exercise and worksheet that will take you around 10 minutes to complete. You repeat the exercises that you find useful a few times a week until you feel like you have got what you need out of the lesson.
DBT skills training is often done in groups and is accompanied by individual treatment and coaching from a therapist. In a clinical setting learning all the skills typically takes six months.
DBT is premised on the idea that many problems are based on a skill deficit, and that by giving clients better skills they can live a happier and more productive life.
For example, instead of coping with stress caused by a difficult boss with self-injury, substance abuse, or anxiety, the client learns to reduce the stress and be more tolerant of the stress. You may for example learn mindfulness techniques to make you more aware of triggers and your response. Distress tolerance and acceptance techniques could help you with self-soothing techniques or radical acceptance. Emotional regulation can help you balance emotional urges with their opposites. And interpersonal effectiveness skills might help you be more assertive with your boss, set boundaries or find another job.
DBT was originally developed for Borderline Personality Disorder, but its use has now widened to a wide range of conditions including:
DBT has become one of the most studied forms of therapy and has picked up popularity among therapists as evidence of its clinical effectiveness has continued to accumulate. There have been 15 significant trials of DBT to date. The evidence shows effectiveness in reducing self-harm, more treatment adherence, less time in treatment, fewer serious episodes, and patients have reported feeling better.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of psychotherapy originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, its effectiveness extends far beyond that. DBT can be used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including:
The benefits of DBT are numerous and far-reaching. Here are just a few:
Both DBT and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are effective forms of therapy, but they have key differences:
While there's a recommended sequence, the order can be adapted to individual needs:
DBT videos can be a valuable resource for learning and practicing skills, especially when used alongside our free workbooks. However, if you're struggling with a mental health condition or find it difficult to manage your emotions on your own, seeking professional help from a qualified DBT therapist is crucial. They can provide personalized guidance, support, and ensure you're using the skills effectively.
