Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a type of talking therapy which was originally developed by an American psychologist named Marsha Linehan. It is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), but has been adapted to meet the particular needs of people who experience emotions very intensely.

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a popular therapy that has been shown to be effective in helping people with a wide range of difficulties with its principle application being the first recommended treatment approach for people meeting criteria for Personality Disorder (Borderline & Emotionally Unstable types). 

DBT is extremely helpful for emotion control issues - and was originally developed for working with people meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder. DBT since this time has been heavily researched and adapted for working with adolescents, families and to support people struggling with a range of difficulties including substance misuse issues, eating disorders, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

What is DBT?

DBT is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which balances a focus on change and problem solving with acceptance and validation. The main focus therefore in DBT is to balance acceptance and change in terms of how an individual sees themselves, how the therapist treats the person, and how they work together to address the issues they are experiencing.

DBT Informed Therapy at Clearview

At ClearView Counselling & Psychotherapy we offer DBT-informed therapy, which is a one-to-one therapy for clients with a range of issues such as those associated with borderline personality disorder (sometimes also called emotionally unstable personality disorder).

This is not ‘standard DBT’ - which is an intensive therapy, delivered in teams and comprising individual therapy, group skills training, telephone skill coaching and weekly team consultation meetings - but does contain many of the common elements provided within a regular DBT program, including individual therapy, a focus on skills training and problem solving. 

While this therapy is not 'standard DBT', it is organised on the same philosophical and treatment principles, structured in the same way, and contains the same skills training modules, taken from “The Decider Skills Training Program”, and adapted skills program based on the original skills program found in DBT. 

What do dbt informed sessions look like?

If a client comes looking specifically for help with a personality disorder (Borderline or Emotionally Unstable) it is likely that they have already seen a psychiatrist who has provided them with this diagnosis. It is really important to understand that only a qualified person can provide this diagnosis this is usually either a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, or a Psychiatrist. 

Our sessions will take the standard format as any other session that I offer however there will be some differences.

The first session will be 90minutes as I offer any client. During this session we will look at your motivations for seeking help and also talk about the expectations of therapy. We will start to explore what you want to get out of therapy and put together some goals around the specific areas of your life where you want to see change. The first session is as much about you meeting and getting a handle on me, as it is me getting on a handle on if I can help you. 

Following the first session our sessions together will follow a very specific agenda which we negotiate between us but will usually take the following format, half review and half skills training. Given that there is presently no option available to give you separate skills training, I look to spend some of the session time on exploring how your week has been, and looking at any challenges, and then the second part of the session introducing a new DBT skill. I work primarily from the ‘DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents’ by Alec L. Miller, Jill H. Rathus 2014 edition, and ‘The Decider Skills Manual’ by Ayres & Vivyan 2015 edition. I tend to find that the skills sheets from these manual’s are more informative and "user friendly" for both adults and adolescents alike, I do also have the standard DBT manual published by Marsha Linehan if a client prefers this however, I generally find most prefer the two aforementioned manuals.

The skills we cover in session are then set as homework for you take home and practice in preparation for the next session. During the review period of the following session, we will spend a short time recapping the skill and exploring if there are any issues that have come up, we will then move onto the next skill. 

How long will i be in therapy if im doing dbt with you?

If you are specifically seeking DBT informed therapy from me its important to understand that you're not being forced to come. So you can drop out when ever you like. However, if you want to see positive change, dropping out is not really advisable. Therapy of ANY kind is a massive personal commitment. Whilst everyone is different, as a general rule of thumb I advise for clients who are seeking help with personality disorder or who are struggling to regulate or manage their emotions and are looking for DBT to be help, I always suggest you need to be committed to undergoing therapy for at least 6 - 12 months, perhaps longer. This doesn't mean in any way that you will only see positive changes after 6-12months, but it does mean that realistically you need to be signed up in your own mind for at least this period of time for us to be able to start to see some definitive changes.

how often do i come to therapy?

Whilst I rarely prescribe the frequency of sessions to clients that I meet with, and prefer this matter to be directed by the client on how often they would like to attend, when we are working using DBT for specific reasons I do tend to offer some strong recommendations. I will always recommend weekly sessions if there is a known diagnosis of personality disorder, or evidence of risk such as self harm, suicide or if other kinds of risk are apparent. If a client is not able to manage weekly sessions, then I suggest weekly for at least the first 6 to 8 weeks so we can really focus on the subjects of commitment, goal setting and get in some key skills training. There after I encourage no less than fortnightly but with an agreement that we both keep in mind there maybe times where we need to move back to weekly depending on the challenges your facing at the time.

so whats next?

If you have read this page and you still think that working with me using DBT informed approach could work for you and you want to find out more, then I offer a free no obligation phone discussion to all clients who are interested in working with me. You can call me now on 07747197180 for more information or click here.

Areas of work & specialisation

Stress & Anxiety

Stress & Depression & Mood related concerns

Adolescent & Young People (16+y.o.a.)

Counselling for Men & Male Mental Health

Self Harm

Poor or Negative Coping

Personality Disorder (Emotionally Unstable & Borderline Types)

Long Term & Short Term work

(ClearView Counselling & Psychotherapy is a trading name of ANJ Consultancy Ltd)