Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Groups

In addition to In-Person Individual and Group DBT Counseling, Advanced Counseling and Research Services offers Online Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Groups led by Certified Dialectical Therapist Cady Monasmith.

These weekly groups provide a supportive environment for individuals to learn and practice essential DBT skills. DBT:

• Focuses on developing your skills in Emotional Regulation, Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
• Helps you manage challenging emotions and improve your overall well-being.

Disclaimer: This is a general description. For specific details and to determine if these groups are right for you, please contact us.

Women's Groups meet on Mondays beginning 2/3 at 4:00 PM.

Men's Groups convene on Tuesdays beginning 2/4 at 1:00 PM.

Most major insurance is accepted; check with your carrier to see if group coverage is available.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).