Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

WHAT IS IT?

“Identify your emotions”, “identify the obstacles to changing emotions”, and “increase positive emotional events”. According to Liza Dietz of dbtselfhelp.com, these are just a handful of the examples that a therapist who is involved in the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy field might use when encountering a client. To elaborate further, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) “is a modified type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).” DBT identifies and changes “negative thinking patterns and pushes for positive behavioral changes”, while also teaching “people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others”. DBT is utilized in a variety of circumstances, such as suicidal or self-destructive behaviors in order to aid those in need.

HISTORY

In the late 1970’s, American Author and Psychologist, Marsha Linehan, created Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Suicide researcher at the time, Linehan “found that there was support for the use of dialectical behavior therapy with borderline personality disorder”, but with the addition of further research in the psychological field, DBT aids in other detrimental behavior. Over time, DBT gained popularity as therapy became a more prominent form of healthcare. To this day, DBT is one of the most effective forms of therapy in use.

STATISTICS

Speaking of effectiveness, DBT has been statistically shown to alleviate visits to the hospital. According to Stephanie Vaughn of Psychotherapy Academy, “frequency rate and length of hospitalization have been shown to decrease repeatedly in different studies that have been conducted on DBT”. In addition, adults are not the only people group to confirm DBT is effective, as adolescents have claimed DBT has worked for them as well. Last but not least, for years, women have been the primary users of DBT, but recent studies have confirmed that DBT is also successful for men as well.

Originally, DBT was utilized with assisting those with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but that initial analysis has changed with further advancements in the therapeutic field. In an article written by the Psychology Today staff of Psychology Today, DBT has helped those “experiencing depression, bipolar disorder, [and] post-traumatic-stress disorder” just to name a few.

Since DBT is an effective form of therapy, it significantly benefits one’s mental health. To add on to what the Psychology Today staff of Psychology Today, DBT has also helped people who wish to “improve their ability to regulate emotions, tolerate distress and negative emotion, be mindful and present in the given moment, and communicate and interact effectively with others”. As it relates to mental health, these traits that people have gained through DBT leads to DBT being one of the best forms of therapy to date.