Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Services​ at PVD Psych

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to help individuals who have difficulty managing their emotions, handling “crisis situations” of peak distress without engaging in impulsive and self-destructive behaviors, and navigating relationships effectively. In order to achieve best results, individuals will participate in both individual DBT and group skills training.

Radically Open DBT (RO DBT) is a type of DBT that was developed by Dr. Thomas Lynch to treat individuals with disorders of over control. RO DBT is appropriate for some clients with eating disorders, treatment resistant depression, obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), perfectionism, and difficulty connecting with others. Too much self control can backfire and RO DBT helps clients learn how to be more open to new experiences, less rigid, and better able to connect with others,

Individual DBT

We offer individual DBT sessions that are grounded in the DBT treatment philosophy of dialectics and integrates change-focused strategies from CBT with acceptance based strategies from Zen philosophy and Buddhism. We also offer individual RO DBT sessions.

DBT Skills Training Groups

DBT Skills Training is comprised of four modules. These modules are Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness, respectively. The fourth skills module, Mindfulness, is the foundation of DBT. Mindfulness skills refer to developing an awareness of the present moment and help with the critical ability to take a step back in a situation and be able to respond in a deliberate way rather than simply reacting. Mindfulness also helps us foster compassion for ourselves and develop the capacity to learn how to access our “wise mind” and tap into our intuition.

Unlike interpersonal process or support groups, a DBT group is more like taking a class and most time is spent being taught skills and reviewing homework from in between sessions. Rather than being a closed group in which all participants start and end the group together, this group is designed to be a rolling admission group with entry points in between each four-week long module. While it is recommended that group members complete the group in its entirety in order to get the full “DBT Effect,” in some cases, members like to pick and choose modules in order to brush up on certain skills or due to scheduling limitations.

Individual Skills Training

We offer individual DBT-informed therapy that is grounded in the DBT treatment philosophy of dialectics and integrates change-focused strategies from CBT with acceptance-based strategies from Zen philosophy and Buddhism. Many of our therapists have a range of experience with DBT and we will match you appropriately with one of them. Of note, we do not offer phone coaching or have a consultation team so, for some individuals, a comprehensive DBT program would be more appropriate. The individual DBT we offer is great for clients seeking a therapist well versed in DBT for maintenance or who would benefit from DBT for general emotion dysregulation.