Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by psychologist 📝Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s. It was originally designed to treat individuals diagnosed with 📝Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), particularly those who experience chronic suicidal ideation or engage in self-harming behaviors. DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques for emotion regulation and reality-testing with concepts of distress tolerance, acceptance, and mindful awareness derived from Buddhist meditative practice.
The therapy is structured around four core modules: 📝mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Treatment typically involves individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and therapist consultation teams. DBT has since been adapted for use with a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, substance use disorders, and 📝Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It emphasizes the dialectic between acceptance and change, encouraging patients to accept themselves while also striving to improve their behavior and emotional resilience.