Comprehensive DBT
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an evidence based psychotherapy—it’s been proven to work through more than thirty years of research. The approach builds on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), another evidence based approach that has seventy years of research behind it. The core philosophy that underlies DBT is the balance between acceptance (mindfulness) and change (CBT) strategies. Research has shown that without the acceptance strategies of DBT, the change based strategies of CBT are less effective.
Unlike traditional psychotherapy DBT is a skills based program which means that treatment is not intended to be ongoing over the long term—the goal of DBT is to provide patients with the skills to thrive through a time-limited program of individual and group therapy.
What Is Included In Comprehensive DBT?
Comprehensive DBT is built upon four pillars:
Individual Therapy
Skills Group
Phone Coaching
Clinical Consult Team
In Individual Therapy, you’ll work on identifying life worth living goals and how to apply the DBT skills you learn in group to the specific experiences you have in your life. Your therapist will help you navigate through the common stages of DBT, all while validating your experiences and helping you embrace change.
In Skills Group, you’ll learn the foundational DBT skills as created by Dr. Marsha Linehan across four modules: Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Learning in groups is amazing way to share your experiences and get support from clients struggling with similar emotions and behaviors.
Phone Coaching is where the magic happens with on-demand support. When you try using a DBT skill and you get stuck, you’ll be able to reach out to your individual therapist for in-the-moment support. Designed to be a quick check-in, within 5 to 10 minutes, you’ll know what steps to try next to navigate your situation in a way that aligns with those life worth living goals you defined with your therapist.
Finally, as part of your comprehensive support, your individual therapist and group leaders all participate in a weekly Clinical Consult Team. Under the direction of Dr. Alicia Smart, our Owner and Clinical Director and Linehan-Board Certified Clinician™, you can be sure that your care team is getting the support they need in order to provide you with the highest quality DBT care.
Skills Based
DBT is based on four skill modules including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.
Cumulative Curriculum
Skills build on each other over the course of the treatment. Treatment starts with easy to learn skills and gets progressively more challenging.
Research Supported
With hundreds of favorable research studies completed DBT has been recognized as an evidence-based program by the American Psychiatric Association.
Time Boxed
DBT treatment typically follows a one year program of weekly meetings though some patients may complete the process more quickly.
Dialectic Foundation
DBT incorporates both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness thereby offering a balance of acceptance and change strategies.
Goal Oriented
Clients work collaboratively with the therapist to define target behaviors for modification. Skills are then applied to decrease negative behaviors and promote positive ones.
Team Supported
Patients are supported not only by their individual therapist but also by their individual therapist’s consult team thus ensuring the highest-level of care.
Extended Support
In DBT practice therapy sessions are supplemented with skills-based coaching during extended hours by telephone.
Why Work With A DBT Center?
One of the most common questions our clients have is why should they consider working with Guidepost DBT as a center versus seeking out an individual practitioner. In this video, Dr. Alicia Smart, Linehan-Board Certified Clinician™️ and Clinical Director of Guidepost DBT, explains why a center is best positioned to offer you the highest quality care with our outcomes-oriented and evidence-based approach to treatment.