DBT Skills

DBT is a modified version of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) designed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). It can also be used to treat other conditions, like suicidal behaviour, self-harm, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and eating disorders.

DBT consists of four main skill sets:

Mindfulness - Learning how to focus your awareness on the present moment, and to acknowledge and accept your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and bodily sensations as they occur, without the need to control or manipulate them.

Distress Tolerance - Learning how to manage and cope during a crisis, and to tolerate distress when it is difficult or impossible to change a situation. Learning to accept any given situation just as it is, rather than how you think it should be, or want it to be. Learning new skills like distraction and self-soothing, for both coping with and improving distressing moments.

Emotional Regulation - Learning how to effectively manage your emotional experience, and not allow your emotions to manage you.

Interpersonal Effectiveness - Learning assertiveness strategies to appropriately ask for what you want or need. Learning how to say no, and how to manage interpersonal conflict in a way that maintains respect for yourself and others.