Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Tools

DBT is a therapy program designed by Marsha Linehan. It was created to help clients who struggle with depression and anxiety. These clients sometimes find it difficult to continue living. DBT is based on the Biosocial Theory and is intended to help those who are highly sensitive to their environment, are highly reactive to events, often become overwhelmed with emotion, and are slow to return to calm. Their childhood environment may have been invalidating or chaotic. Many of these clients have experienced some form of trauma, and may seek perfectionism.

DBT assumes that clients are doing the best they can and they want to get better. Clients learn that emotions are normal and natural. They learn new skills and learn to apply them in all contexts of their lives. Clients may not have caused all their problems, but they learn to solve all of them anyway. Clients cannot fail in DBT.