Therapy Approaches

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Building the skills to navigate intense emotions and create a life worth living.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy
What It Is

Balancing acceptance and change

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed for people who experience emotions with unusual intensity — people who feel things deeply and have difficulty regulating those feelings. Since then, it has proven effective for a wide range of challenges where emotional regulation plays a central role.

The “dialectical” in DBT refers to the central tension at its heart: the balance between accepting yourself as you are right now, and committing to changing behaviors that are causing harm. Both truths are held at once.

DBT focuses on four core skill areas: mindfulness (present-moment awareness), distress tolerance (surviving crises without making things worse), emotional regulation (understanding and managing your emotions), and interpersonal effectiveness (asking for what you need and maintaining relationships).

This approach may help if you are

  • Experiencing intense or overwhelming emotions
  • Struggling with self-destructive behaviors or impulsivity
  • Having difficulty in close relationships
  • Dealing with chronic feelings of emptiness or shame
  • Looking for concrete skills to manage distress in the moment
  • Working through trauma alongside emotional dysregulation
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What to Expect

What DBT sessions are like

I incorporate DBT skills and principles into individual therapy sessions, tailored to your specific needs. We work on building skills progressively — learning them in session, then applying them in your day-to-day life. We track what’s working and what isn’t, adjusting as we go.

DBT is often combined with other approaches in my work, addressing both the skills you need now and the deeper patterns driving your distress.

Start the conversation

I offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation. It’s a chance to talk, ask questions, and see if working together feels right.

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