Bethlehem, PA Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Liberty Place
313 West Liberty Street, Ste. 224
Lancaster, PA 17603
Tel. 717-394-3994Fax: (717) 394-0124email: acrs@advanced-counseling.com
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is one of the evidence-based modalities ACRS licensed professionals use in Trauma and PTSD Counseling. We will help you determine if DBT is the best therapy based on your unique needs. However, we offer our Bethlehem clients the highest quality Online Telehealth DBT Trauma and PTSD Counseling available.
If in-office visits are problematic, we offer the highest quality Online Telehealth Individual and Group DBT Trauma and PTSD Counseling.
Our Trauma and PTSD specialists will provide the services you need to get better and reclaim your life after Trauma. You are not alone; healing is possible, and your healing starts here.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is one of the evidence-based modalities ACRS licensed professionals use in Trauma and PTSD Counseling. DBT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s. The therapy focuses on helping you:
- develop skills to manage your emotions,
- improve interpersonal relationships, and
- cope with distressing situations.
We will help you determine if DBT is the best therapy for your unique needs. We'll give you the highest-quality In-Person and Telehealth DBT Trauma and PTSD Therapy available in Pennsylvania.
Our Trauma and PTSD specialists will provide the services you need to get better and reclaim your life after Trauma.
You are not alone; healing is possible, and your healing starts here.
How Does DBT Work?
DBT Component #1: Mindfulness
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. It helps you observe your experiences and emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. Improving your Mindfulness skills improves the effectiveness of the other key components of DBT Therapy.
Imagine you're scrolling through your phone. You're probably not paying attention to what's happening around you; you're on autopilot. Mindfulness is the opposite of that.
In DBT, mindfulness is about paying attention to what's happening now, in this very moment, without judging or trying to change it. It's like hitting the pause button on your autopilot.
Mindfulness is about:
- Observing: Noticing what's going on around you and inside you (your thoughts, feelings, and what your body is feeling).
- Describing: Putting words to what you're noticing. Like, "I'm feeling my heart racing" or "I'm thinking about that test tomorrow."
- Participating: If you're doing something, like walking or eating, focus on doing just that one thing. The key is to do all of this without judging yourself. So, if you notice you're thinking about something stressful, you don't beat yourself up about it. You notice the thought and gently bring your attention back to the present moment.
Why Is Mindfulness Important?
Mindfulness is like a superpower that helps you stay grounded and in control, even when things get tough.
Managing Emotions: When you're mindful, you can see your emotions coming and going without feeling overwhelmed.
Dealing with Stress: Mindfulness can help you handle stressful situations without doing something you will regret later.
Getting Along With Others: When you're present in a conversation, you're more likely to listen and understand what the other person is saying.
Examples of Mindfulness
Paying attention to your breath: Just notice the feeling of the air going in and out of your body.
Really tasting your food: Instead of just scarfing it down, pay attention to the flavors and textures.
Taking a mindful walk: Notice the feeling of your feet on the ground, the sounds around you, and the sights you see. Don't be on your phone.
DBT Component #2: Distress Tolerance
Distress tolerance in DBT is all about learning how to handle challenging emotions and situations without making things worse. It's like building up your emotional strength so you can healthily get through difficult times.
Think about it this way:
- Distress: This is when you feel overwhelmed by emotions like sadness, anger, anxiety, or frustration. It's that feeling like you can't take it anymore.
- Tolerance: This is your ability to handle those intense feelings without doing something impulsive or harmful, like lashing out at someone, self-harming, or using substances.
Distress Tolerance Skills in DBT
Our DBT therapists work with you to develop a toolbox of strategies you can use to cope with difficult moments. These strategies help you:
- Survive Crises: When you're in the middle of a really tough situation, these skills can help you get through it without making it worse.
- Accept Reality: Sometimes, bad things happen that we can't change. Distress tolerance helps you accept those things and find ways to cope.
- Manage Emotions: These skills can help you dial down the intensity of your emotions so you can think more clearly and make better decisions.
Examples of Distress Tolerance Skills
- Distraction: Finding healthy ways to take your mind off things temporarily, like listening to music, watching a funny video, or spending time with a friend.
- Self-soothing: Doing things that comfort and calm you, like taking a warm bath, listening to relaxing music, or spending time in nature.
- Improving the moment: Finding small ways to make the present moment a little bit better, like lighting a candle, drinking a cup of tea or hot cocoa, or stretching.
- Radical acceptance: Accepting reality as it is, even if you don't like it or it's unreasonable. Accepting reality doesn't mean you have to be happy about it, but it means you stop fighting against it.
DBT Component #3: Emotion Regulation
What Is Emotion Regulation?
Emotional Regulation in DBT Therapy is learning to manage your feelings healthily so they don't control you. It's about understanding your emotions, reducing their intensity when they're overwhelming, and changing your emotions when they're causing problems.
Emotional Regulation includes understanding your emotions, taking care of yourself, and using skills to cope with difficult moments.
Think of your emotions like the volume on your phone while listening to music. Sometimes, the volume is just right, but other times, it's way too loud or too quiet. Emotional Regulation is about learning how to adjust the volume of an emotion so you can enjoy life without being overwhelmed.
How Emotional Regulation Works in DBT Therapy
Understand your emotions: This means identifying what you're feeling, why you're feeling it, and what those feelings make you want to do. It's like becoming a detective of your own emotions.
Reduces your emotional vulnerability: This is about taking care of yourself physically and mentally so you're less likely to get overwhelmed by your emotions in the first place and includes things like:
- Getting enough sleep,
- Eating healthy meals,
- Exercising regularly, and
- Avoiding drugs and alcohol
Decrease emotional suffering: This is about using skills to manage intense emotions in the moment. Some examples include:
- Mindfulness: Paying attention to your emotions without judgment.
- Distress Tolerance: Finding healthy ways to cope with difficult emotions.
Opposite Action: Doing the opposite of what your emotions tell you to do (e.g., if you feel like isolating yourself, reach out to a friend).
DBT Component #4: Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal Effectiveness in DBT is about getting what you need from others while keeping your relationships healthy. It's about
- communicating clearly,
- setting boundaries, and
- resolving conflicts
In a way that respects both yourself and the other person.
Think about it like this: Imagine you must ask your boss for an extension on a project. There are different ways you could go about it. You could be:
- Aggressive: You could demand an extension, get angry if they say no, and maybe even insult them. Aggressiveness might get you an extension in the short term, but it'll damage your relationship with your boss.
- Passive: You could avoid asking altogether, even though you need the extension. Passiveness avoids conflict, but it doesn't get your needs met.
- Assertive: You could calmly and respectfully explain why you need the extension, listen to their response, and be willing to compromise. Assertiveness is the most effective approach because it gets your needs met while maintaining a good relationship.
Interpersonal Effectiveness in DBT teaches you to be assertive in your interactions with others. It gives you skills to:
- Ask for what you need: Making explicit requests, expressing your opinions, and setting limits.
- Say no effectively: Refusing requests without feeling guilty or damaging the relationship.
- Deal with conflict: Resolving disagreements in a way that's fair and respectful to everyone involved.
- Build and maintain healthy relationships: Skills for active listening, empathy, and validation.
Some specific skills you might learn in DBT for Interpersonal Effectiveness include:
DEAR MAN: This helps you make requests assertively.
GIVE: This helps you maintain healthy relationships during conflict.
FAST: This helps you maintain your self-respect in difficult situations.
In simple terms: Interpersonal Effectiveness in DBT is about learning how to navigate your relationships healthily and effectively. You're meeting your needs while respecting others and maintaining strong connections.
How Does DBT Help You with Trauma and PTSD?
- Validation: DBT emphasizes the importance of validating your feelings and experiences. This validation can be crucial if you have felt dismissed or invalidated in the past.
- Coping Skills: DBT equips you with practical skills to manage overwhelming emotions and stress, which can be especially beneficial if you're dealing with Trauma-related symptoms like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
- Processing Trauma: While DBT is not exclusively Trauma-Focused Therapy, therapists can integrate DBT with Trauma-Focused approaches to help you. The skills learned in DBT can help you process your Trauma in a safe and supportive environment.
- Building Resilience: DBT focuses on Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance, helping you build resilience and face and cope with the challenges that arise from your traumatic experiences.
How Effective is DBT Therapy in Treating Trauma?
Research has shown that DBT can be effective for individuals with Trauma histories. Therapists have used DBT to successfully treat conditions such as PTSD, complex PTSD, and other Trauma-related disorders. Many therapists incorporate DBT techniques into Trauma-Focused Therapy to enhance treatment outcomes.
DBT is a valuable therapeutic approach for individuals dealing with Trauma. By focusing on skill development, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, you can learn to navigate their experiences, improve their mental health, and build a fulfilling life after Trauma. If you or someone you know is struggling with Trauma, seeking a qualified therapist trained in DBT can be a beneficial step toward healing.
ACRS Offers You More Than DBT Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an excellent treatment modality for Trauma and PTSD. However, ACRS uses several proven effective techniques for treating Trauma and PTSD, including:- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE): Involves gradual exposure to trauma-related memories and situations to reduce avoidance and anxiety.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Focuses on changing your negative thought patterns and behaviors.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): is a type of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy that focuses on helping you develop skills to manage your emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and cope with distressing situations.
- Narrative Therapy: Encourages you to tell your stories, helping you understand your experiences.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is effective for both Trauma and PTSD, but it is particularly well-studied for PTSD.
- Somatic Experiencing: Focuses on your body’s physical response to Trauma and aims to release stored tension and Trauma
- Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Includes meditation and deep breathing to help you manage Trauma-related stress and anxiety.
- Psychoeducation: Educating you about Trauma and its effects can help you understand your experiences and develop coping strategies.
Online Telehealth DBT Therapy
Is Online Telehealth DBT Therapy Effective?
- Research has shown that DBT Therapy can be effective when delivered through Online Telehealth. Many clients report positive outcomes similar to In-Person sessions.
- Therapists can accomplish the key components of DBT, such as Mindfulness,Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness online.
Safety and Comfort
- Online Telehealth allows you to engage in therapy from the comfort of your own home, which can enhance feelings of safety and security.
Accessibility
Online Telehealth makes DBT Trauma and PTSD Therapy more accessible to you if you have difficulty attending In-Person sessions due to geographical, physical, or logistical barriers.
Confidentiality and Security
Therapists must ensure that your Telehealth platform is secure and compliant with privacy regulations (such as HIPAA in the United States) to protect your confidentiality.
Therapist Training
- Therapists conducting your Dialectical Behavior Therapy via Onlinw Telehealth must be trained in both DBT Therapy and Telehealth technology. That's because therapists should be familiar with how to adapt the DBT process to an online format.
ACRS Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Therapists
Our counselors are trained in Trauma-Informed Care and have extensive experience helping individuals heal from traumatic experiences.
CEO and Chief Clinical Officer
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC);
- Pa. Lic. PC006514
- Fl. Lic. TPMC1044
- Certified Traumatologist (CT)
- National Certified Counselor (NCC)
- Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
- Certified in Emergency Crisis Response (CECR)
- Master of Arts (MA)
- 20+ years of clinical experience.
- Worked with clients across the lifespan.
Clinician and Licensure Supervisor
- Licensed Professional Counselor (PA-13890)
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
- Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (C-DBT)
- Certified Mindfulness Informed Professional (CMIP)
- Master of Arts (MA)
Skilled in Person Centered Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Clinician
- Licensed Professional Counselor (PA-015668)
- Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (C-DBT)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
- Certified Dancing Mindfulness Facilitator (CDMF)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Practiced in artistic expressionism, specifically dance and other performing arts.
Professional Counselor
- Cognitive Processing Therapist (CPT)
Pre-licensed Clinician
Experience working with adolescents, couples, the elderly population, blended families, and families in the adoption process.
Take the first step towards healing. Contact us to schedule a consultation with an ACRS DBT Trauma and PTSD Therapy expert or to learn more about DBT Therapy.
Cheryl Wilson-Smith
CEO and Chief Clinical Officer
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC);
- Pa. Lic. PC006514
- Fl. Lic. TPMC1044
- Certified Traumatologist (CT)
- National Certified Counselor (NCC)
- Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
- Certified in Emergency Crisis Response (CECR)
- Master of Arts (MA)
- 20+ years of clinical experience.
- Worked with clients across the lifespan.
"I have over 20 years of experience in In-Person and Online Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I guarantee that the DBT Trauma and PTSD Therapy ACRS provides to our Bethlehem clients is of the highest quality in Pennsylvania".
