What is DBT about?
DBT is about learning options for managing emotions and the behaviors that happen as a result of them. Participants identify “target behaviors” which are things they do when distressed that they would like to stop doing. They apply DBT skills to help reduce or eliminate their target behaviors. There are four skill areas that make up the “DBT skills”, which are the foundation of the treatment. Briefly, the skill areas are: 1) Mindfulness: cultivating awareness of thoughts, emotions and present-moment experiences. 2) Emotion Regulation: understanding what emotions are and ways to deliminate, de-escalate or change them. 3) Interpersonal Effectiveness: ways to get your needs met without damaging relationships. 4) Distress Tolerance: ways to tolerate distressing emotions when you can’t change or eliminate them.
