Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
You deserve a life worth living.
We all strive for a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling. We want healthy relationships, a sense of purpose, emotional stability, and the ability to navigate challenges without becoming overwhelmed. However, when emotions feel intense or difficult to manage, these goals can sometimes feel out of reach.
You may struggle to regulate your emotions or find that stress affects your work, relationships, or everyday functioning. You may have difficulty communicating your needs, setting boundaries, or managing conflict. At other times, painful emotions may lead to impulsive or self-destructive behaviors that provide temporary relief but create additional difficulties over time.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy designed to help individuals manage difficult emotions, cope with distress, improve relationships, and develop healthier behavioral patterns.
At Madison Park Psychological Services, our therapists use DBT approaches to help adults and teens develop practical skills for navigating life’s challenges and improving their overall well-being.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, commonly referred to as DBT, was developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan. DBT was originally developed to treat individuals experiencing chronic suicidal behaviors and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Today, DBT principles and skills are also used to address a broader range of emotional and behavioral difficulties.
DBT is based on principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) while placing additional emphasis on acceptance, mindfulness, and emotional regulation.
The word dialectical refers to the idea that two seemingly opposing things can be true at the same time.
For example, you can accept yourself while also recognizing that there are things you would like to change. You can understand why you responded a certain way while also recognizing that the response may not have been helpful.
This balance between acceptance and change is one of the core principles of DBT.
Rather than focusing only on changing thoughts and behaviors, DBT teaches individuals to acknowledge their experiences without judgment while developing healthier ways of responding to them.
Who Can Benefit From DBT?
DBT can be particularly helpful for individuals who experience emotions intensely or have difficulty managing their reactions during stressful situations.
Emotions are a normal and necessary part of life. However, when emotions become overwhelming, they can affect our thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and ability to function effectively.
DBT may be beneficial for individuals experiencing difficulties such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Impulsive behaviors
- Relationship conflicts
- Anger or irritability
- Self-destructive behaviors
- Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
- Trauma-related difficulties
- Eating disorders
- Difficulty managing stress
DBT skills may also be helpful for individuals who do not have a specific diagnosis but would like to improve their ability to cope with stress, communicate effectively, and manage difficult emotions.
The Four Core Skills of DBT
DBT is a skills-based treatment. In addition to gaining insight into emotional and behavioral patterns, individuals learn practical strategies that can be applied to challenges outside of the therapy room.
DBT focuses on four primary areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness involves becoming aware of the present moment without immediately judging or attempting to change what you are experiencing.
Through mindfulness, you can learn to observe your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and surroundings more carefully.
This awareness can help create space between an emotion and your response to it. Instead of automatically reacting to a thought or feeling, you can learn to notice what is happening and make a more intentional decision about what to do next.
Distress Tolerance
Some stressful or painful situations cannot be changed immediately.
Distress tolerance teaches strategies for managing these moments without engaging in behaviors that may make the situation worse.
For example, when experiencing intense sadness, anger, or anxiety, you may feel an immediate urge to escape the emotion. DBT teaches coping strategies that can help you tolerate the discomfort until the intensity of the emotion decreases.
Distress tolerance does not mean ignoring a problem or pretending that a painful experience does not matter. Instead, it means learning how to manage distress effectively when a situation cannot be immediately resolved.
Emotion Regulation
Emotion regulation involves learning to better understand and manage emotional experiences.
DBT can help you identify your emotions, recognize what triggers them, and understand how they influence your thoughts and behaviors.
You can also learn to identify the urges associated with particular emotions.
For example, anxiety may create an urge to avoid. Anger may create an urge to confront. Shame may create an urge to withdraw.
DBT teaches you to recognize these urges and determine whether acting on them will actually be helpful.
The goal is not to eliminate difficult emotions. Rather, the goal is to experience emotions without allowing them to automatically control your behavior.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness focuses on improving communication and relationships.
You may have difficulty saying no, expressing your needs, establishing boundaries, or managing disagreements. Alternatively, you may communicate your needs but struggle to do so effectively when emotions become intense.
DBT teaches skills for communicating clearly, resolving conflict, setting appropriate boundaries, and maintaining relationships while also maintaining your self-respect.
These skills can help you become more intentional about how you interact with others, particularly during emotionally difficult situations.
Acceptance and Change in DBT
Acceptance is an important component of DBT, but acceptance does not mean approval.
You can accept that something has happened without believing that it was fair or appropriate. You can acknowledge that a situation exists while still wanting it to change.
When we spend significant energy fighting against a reality that cannot currently be changed, we may create additional emotional distress.
DBT teaches the concept of radical acceptance, which involves acknowledging reality as it currently exists rather than focusing exclusively on how we believe it should be.
Once you recognize what is happening, you can focus more effectively on what remains within your control.
This reflects the balance at the center of DBT: accepting the present while continuing to work toward change.
How DBT Helps Change Behavioral Patterns
Many behaviors serve a purpose, even when they eventually become harmful or ineffective.
Avoiding a difficult situation may temporarily decrease anxiety. Withdrawing during an argument may help you escape an overwhelming emotion. Acting impulsively may provide temporary relief from distress.
However, short-term relief can sometimes create long-term difficulties.
DBT helps individuals identify the relationship between situations, thoughts, emotions, urges, behaviors, and consequences.
Through this process, you can begin recognizing patterns in your behavior and understanding what maintains them.
Your therapist can then help you identify alternative responses and practice skills that are more consistent with your long-term goals.
The goal is not simply to stop a behavior. It is to understand what the behavior is doing for you and develop healthier ways to meet that same need.
What to Expect From DBT Therapy
DBT is an active and collaborative form of treatment.
During therapy, you will work with your therapist to identify specific concerns, establish treatment goals, and learn skills that can be practiced in everyday life.
Depending on your needs and the type of DBT treatment being provided, therapy may include individual sessions, structured skills training, between-session practice, and monitoring of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and skill use.
Comprehensive DBT traditionally includes individual psychotherapy, group skills training, between-session phone coaching, and a consultation team for DBT providers. Therapists may also provide DBT-informed therapy, which incorporates DBT principles and skills without including every component of comprehensive DBT.
Practice between sessions is an important part of treatment. You may be asked to monitor emotional experiences, complete worksheets, practice coping strategies, or apply specific skills to situations that arise throughout the week.
Consistent practice can help these strategies become easier to use during moments of distress.
Building a Life Worth Living
A central goal of DBT is helping individuals create a life worth living.
What constitutes a meaningful life will differ from person to person.
For one individual, it may involve developing healthier relationships. For another, it may mean learning to manage anger, decrease impulsive behaviors, establish boundaries, or cope with painful emotions without engaging in self-destructive behaviors.
DBT does not aim to eliminate difficult emotions entirely.
Sadness, anxiety, anger, disappointment, and frustration are normal parts of life. Instead, DBT teaches skills that can help you experience these emotions without becoming completely controlled by them.
Over time, you can learn to understand your emotions, tolerate difficult experiences, communicate more effectively, and make decisions that are consistent with the life you want to build.
Book an Appointment With One of Our DBT Therapists in NYC
If you struggle with overwhelming emotions, difficulty managing stress, relationship conflicts, or behavioral patterns that interfere with your daily life, DBT may be helpful.
At Madison Park Psychological Services, we provide therapy to adults and teens in NYC and offer treatment approaches that incorporate DBT principles and skills.
During your initial consultation, we will discuss your concerns, symptoms, and treatment goals to determine which therapeutic approach may best meet your needs.
Learning how to manage difficult emotions does not mean you have to stop feeling deeply. With the appropriate support and skills, you can learn how to experience your emotions while responding to them in healthier and more effective ways.
Contact Madison Park Psychological Services to learn more about DBT therapy or to schedule an appointment.
Author:
MPPS Team (Reviewed By Dr. Yasmine Saad)
Hello! I’m Dr. Yasmine Saad, an award-winning psychologist based in New York City and a two-time international best-selling author. You might know me as “The Wise Psychologist,” a title given to me by my clients for my work. I’m honored to have been recognized by Forbes alongside inspirational figures like Tony Robbins.
My work is centered around my Inner Message Approach®, a transformative method I developed to help individuals decode their thoughts and emotions. This approach is designed to empower people to overcome negative patterns and unlock their true potential. USA Today has called me a “visionary,” highlighting how I’m redefining our understanding of the human mind by combining deep wisdom with revolutionary techniques.
As the founder of Madison Park Psychological Services, I lead a team of exceptional psychologists, representing the top 5% in our field. We specialize in providing holistic care to our diverse clientele, integrating ancient Eastern wisdom with modern Western therapeutic techniques. Through my Inner Message Approach®, my team and I have successfully guided countless adults, couples, and children toward wellness in a remarkably short time.
In addition to my clinical practice, I’m an internationally acclaimed speaker, often sharing the stage with icons like Deepak Chopra, Dr. Shefali, Les Brown, and many others. I’m passionate about educating the public on the Inner Message Approach®, and my insights have been featured in over 100 media outlets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, and Fox.
This exposure has solidified my reputation as a leading authority in psychology and personal development. I’m proud to have my expertise recognized both nationally and internationally, not only as a seasoned practitioner but also as an educator in this fascinating and ever-evolving field.
MPPS Team (Reviewed By Dr. Yasmine Saad)
Hello! I’m Dr. Yasmine Saad, an award-winning psychologist based in New York City and a two-time international best-selling author. You might know me as “The Wise Psychologist,” a title given to me by my clients for my work. I’m honored to have been recognized by Forbes alongside inspirational figures like Tony Robbins.
My work is centered around my Inner Message Approach®, a transformative method I developed to help individuals decode their thoughts and emotions. This approach is designed to empower people to overcome negative patterns and unlock their true potential. USA Today has called me a “visionary,” highlighting how I’m redefining our understanding of the human mind by combining deep wisdom with revolutionary techniques.
As the founder of Madison Park Psychological Services, I lead a team of exceptional psychologists, representing the top 5% in our field. We specialize in providing holistic care to our diverse clientele, integrating ancient Eastern wisdom with modern Western therapeutic techniques. Through my Inner Message Approach®, my team and I have successfully guided countless adults, couples, and children toward wellness in a remarkably short time.
In addition to my clinical practice, I’m an internationally acclaimed speaker, often sharing the stage with icons like Deepak Chopra, Dr. Shefali, Les Brown, and many others. I’m passionate about educating the public on the Inner Message Approach®, and my insights have been featured in over 100 media outlets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, and Fox.
This exposure has solidified my reputation as a leading authority in psychology and personal development. I’m proud to have my expertise recognized both nationally and internationally, not only as a seasoned practitioner but also as an educator in this fascinating and ever-evolving field.
