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Learn DBT Skills In A Group
Weekly sessions are available. Grouport offers therapist-led dialectical behavior therapy skills groups online. The first 12 weeks covers fundamental DBT skills.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of evidence-based psychotherapy that has proven effective in treating various mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder, depression, and anxiety. DBT is based on the premise that individuals who struggle with regulating their emotions lack the skills to do so effectively, which can lead to impulsive and self-destructive behaviors.
Through individual therapy, skills training, and group therapy, DBT aims to teach individuals how to manage their emotions healthily and develop new coping skills to replace maladaptive behaviors. By helping individuals improve their emotional regulation, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance, DBT can help them improve their overall quality of life and build more fulfilling relationships with others.
There are several core skills in dialectical behavior therapy: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, radical acceptance, wise mind, self-soothing, and reality acceptance. We cover the basics of these concepts below.
Mindfulness is a core component of DBT and is a practice that involves paying attention to the present moment with curiosity and without judgment. In DBT, mindfulness is used to help individuals observe their thoughts and emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. Mindfulness-based practices are effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
Through mindfulness, individuals can learn to identify patterns of thought and behavior contributing to their mental health issues and work to change them. Mindfulness can also help individuals stay focused on the present moment and avoid becoming overwhelmed by worries about the future or regrets about the past. By incorporating mindfulness into therapy, individuals can develop greater control over their thoughts and emotions and improve their overall mental health.
DBT's emotion regulation skills are based on the idea that emotions serve an adaptive function and are not inherently negative or problematic. However, the intensity or duration of certain emotions may be problematic, and individuals may benefit from learning skills to manage these emotions more effectively. DBT's emotion regulation skills include a variety of strategies, such as mindfulness, opposite action, and problem-solving. If an individual feels the urge to engage in self-harm, the opposite action would involve doing something incompatible with self-harm, such as holding an ice cube. Problem-solving involves identifying and addressing the root cause of the emotion, such as managing a difficult interpersonal relationship or changing a negative thought pattern.
Emotion regulation is a fundamental component of DBT, and it can be helpful for individuals with various mental health issues beyond BPD, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. DBT's emotion regulation skills are taught in a structured manner through both individual and group therapy sessions. Through these skills, individuals can learn to manage their emotions better and avoid the negative consequences of intense or maladaptive emotional responses.
Distress tolerance is a critical component of DBT that helps individuals learn to cope with painful and difficult emotions without resorting to self-destructive or harmful behaviors. Distress tolerance skills focus on accepting reality as it is rather than fighting against it.
Improving the moment techniques involves finding ways to make the present moment more pleasant, such as listening to music or looking at a beautiful scenery. By learning and practicing these skills, individuals can better manage distressing emotions and avoid engaging in self-destructive behaviors.
Interpersonal effectiveness skills are important because they can help individuals navigate social interactions, set boundaries, and manage conflicts in healthy ways.
Interpersonal effectiveness skills in DBT include strategies for asking for what you need, saying no, and managing interpersonal conflicts. These skills are grounded in the idea that individuals can ask for what they need and set boundaries in their relationships.
By learning and practicing these skills, individuals can improve their relationships, increase their confidence in social situations, and reduce interpersonal conflicts that can contribute to stress and emotional distress.
Radical acceptance is often used to manage distressing emotions and reduce impulsive behaviors, such as self-harm or substance abuse. By accepting reality as it is, individuals can reduce their resistance to painful emotions and learn to tolerate distress without engaging in self-destructive behaviors.
Radical acceptance is not the same as resignation or giving up. Instead, it is about acknowledging what is within our control and not and then focusing our efforts on what we can change. Radical acceptance can be difficult, especially when faced with challenging situations or emotions. DBT therapists work with clients to develop mindfulness skills, such as observing and describing thoughts and emotions, which can help increase awareness and acceptance of present-moment experiences. By practicing radical acceptance, individuals can learn to manage distressing emotions healthier, reduce impulsive behaviors, and improve their overall well-being.
Wise Mind is the balance between the emotional mind and the rational mind. Emotional mind is driven by emotions, impulses, and desires, while the rational mind is driven by logic and reasoning. The wise mind integrates the emotional and rational mind to create a balanced approach to decision-making and problem-solving.
The wise mind is a state of mind in which individuals can make decisions based on emotions and logic. By accessing the wise mind, individuals can make decisions that align with their values while also considering the impact of their actions on others. DBT therapists help individuals develop skills to access the wise mind, such as mindfulness, self-awareness, and emotional regulation. By practicing these skills, individuals can improve their decision-making abilities, reduce impulsive behaviors, and increase their overall well-being.
Self-soothing involves engaging in activities or behaviors that provide comfort and relaxation. Self-soothing is particularly important for individuals who struggle with emotional dysregulation, as it can help them to manage their emotions in healthy ways.
Self-soothing aims to help individuals regulate their emotions and reduce the intensity of distressing feelings. Self-soothing techniques in DBT may include:
DBT therapists work with individuals to identify their preferred self-soothing techniques and develop a plan for incorporating them into their daily lives. By learning and practicing self-soothing techniques, individuals can reduce the frequency and intensity of impulsive or destructive behaviors and improve their overall well-being.
Reality acceptance is particularly important for individuals who struggle with intense emotions, as it can help them to avoid engaging in behaviors that may provide temporary relief but have negative long-term consequences. By accepting reality as it is, individuals can reduce their resistance to painful emotions and learn to tolerate distress without engaging in self-destructive behaviors. This can lead to improved emotional regulation and an overall improvement in well-being.
DBT therapists work with individuals to develop mindfulness skills, such as observing and describing thoughts and emotions, which can help increase awareness and acceptance of present-moment experiences.
DBT therapists help individuals develop a sense of balance between acceptance and change, which can lead to improved emotional regulation and overall well-being. DBT also teaches skills to help individuals balance acceptance of reality with the need for change. By identifying areas where change is needed and developing strategies to make positive changes, individuals can work towards improving their lives without resorting to self-destructive behaviors.
These skills are often taught in group therapy to help individuals manage their emotions, communicate effectively, and improve their relationships with others.
Join our online therapy program, Grouport Therapy, if you seek to practice dialectical behavior therapy with others in a remote environment. Our Grouport dialectical behavior therapy series is designed to help participants replace behaviors and emotions that cause friction in their daily lives and relationships by teaching them strategic new skills over a 12-week course.
Each group meets once per week at the same selected time. Once you have paid for and enrolled in the course, you will receive a weekly link to join your next session.
Are you ready to take the first step towards improving your relationships, managing anxiety, reducing emotional suffering, and rediscovering hope for the future? Join our dialectical behavior therapy skills group and your next session is just around the corner!
We offer DBT group therapy online to improve emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, & interpersonal skills. Get effective and affordable treatment.
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