How Dialectical Behavior Therapy Works

Disclaimer: This article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

When seeking support for mental health, it’s important to understand there are many different kinds of mental health treatment to choose from. 

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of therapy that combines both one-on-one sessions with a therapist with group skills training sessions. While many people are familiar with the term “dialectics” in philosophy, which in a general way involves a back-and-forth process between opposing sides. Not as many people may be familiar with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which was developed in the early 1990s by American psychologist Marsha Linehan, Ph.D.

To understand more about dialectical behavior therapy, check out BetterHelp’s guide to DBT.

According to licensed clinical social worker Penny Kruger of Austin, Texas, “The difference in DBT [from traditional therapy] is that instead of focusing on the ‘why’ of the target behavior, we focus on the ‘how’ to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of the target behavior.”

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the important ways dialectical behavior therapy can be effective and provide support for challenging mental health conditions. 

DBT Techniques

Learning strategies for better understanding and regulating emotions is a key part of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. While a number of strategies can be helpful, DBT often involves: distress tolerance, validation, and emotional regulation. 

Distress Tolerance in Dialectical Behavior Therapy

When someone has a low tolerance for difficult emotions, they may move more easily toward negative behaviors. But someone’s tolerance isn’t stuck at a set level, it’s possible to change. Tolerance to distressing emotions can be built up to a higher level to help someone become more resilient and stable. 

Developing distress tolerance can help someone to learn how to better manage uncomfortable emotions without resorting to negative coping behaviors, which are damaging. 

Validation in Dialectical Behavior Therapy

When someone feels their experiences have been ignored, it may lead to negative emotions and feeling misunderstood. During the validation process, a therapist emphasizes creating a supportive environment where a person can express their thoughts and feelings safely. Feeling validated can help lead a person to a greater sense of self-acceptance and self-worth, which can lead to more positive outcomes. 

Emotional Regulation in DBT 

Difficulty in regulating emotions can manifest in painful outbursts and feeling overwhelmed by emotions. A key technique in dialectical behavior therapy is learning better emotional regulation, which involves gaining a deeper understanding of the physiological way emotions work in our body, as well as learning to modulate the intensity of emotions. 

Once a person has a basis for how emotions work, the therapist can go on to help them in identifying their emotions and labeling them. For many people, the process of identifying and labeling things in their lives can provide a way of gaining control over them and increase their sense of autonomy. In DBT, skills for managing intense emotions are developed to help people experience difficult emotions without being compelled to act upon them.

In Conclusion

While DBT teaches important skills for helping to gain more understanding and better management of our emotions, there are many ways to support mental health. Just remember that whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re ready to take the first step, there’s help out there.