Highland Springs is one of the renowned DBT treatment centers in the Intermountain West. Our unique DBT program offers evidence-based services designed to improve self-image, relationships, and decrease mood swings. Call today or submit the form below to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy designed to treat people who have difficulty controlling extreme emotions, such as borderline personality disorder. People who experience borderline personality disorder often have histories of sexual abuse and trauma, intense fear of abandonment, and self-harm behavior. Clients experiencing these conditions benefit greatly from DBT as it helps to combat these feelings and help you find happiness. DBT can be classified under four modules.
Our Utah DBT treatment centers use an integrated treatment approach that combines weekly individual DBT therapy sessions, weekly DBT group therapy sessions, and phone consultation. Highland Springs Specialty Clinic’s DBT program combines cognitive behavioral therapy techniques with concepts borrowed from Eastern spirituality.
The weekly individual sessions focus on the troubles in the patient’s life and problem-solving behavior. Symptoms including suicidal thoughts and self-injury are discussed first, followed by negative behaviors that can interfere with the therapy program. Methods on improving self-worth and self-image are addressed in individual meetings, as well as learning to cope and overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Weekly DBT group therapy sessions last approximately two hours and are led by one of our experienced behavioral health therapists. Clients learn four different life skills in group therapy: interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance/reality acceptance, emotion regulation, and mindfulness. The success of a DBT program depends on a strong working relationship between the patient and therapist. At Highland Springs, our therapists are trained experts in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and can help you achieve results.
There are four DBT modules that are designed to help individuals better manage their behaviors, emotions and thoughts. These DBT modules include core mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation. If an individual is living with a mental illness, they may lack some of the following skills. However, DBT is designed to help.
Based on Eastern Zen philosophy, core mindfulness focuses on how to be mindful and present. The ultimate goal is for you to learn how to observe, describe, and participate. These are known as the “what” skills of core mindfulness. In contrast, the “how” skills highly non-judgmentally, effectively, one-mindfully. You will learn how to focus on the present moment in a calm manner. As you do, you will be able to approach situations in a much healthier way, avoiding destructive behavior.
You will learn to become more aware of:
As you learn to be more mindful, this will support your ability to practice emotional regulation.
In life, crises are inevitable. While most treatment options focus on changing distressing events, distress tolerance is a DBT module that focuses on your ability to accept distress and emotional pain. You will learn to better accept life as it occurs in the moment.
Some of the core strategies used in DBT include:
The goal here is for you to work towards a greater sense of “wise mind” — which is the state of mind that you should strive for when making decisions. In contrast, the logical mind and emotional mind form a wise mind.
Interpersonal effectiveness focuses on how you interact with others and how response patterns impact interpersonal relationships. This module focuses on scenarios where your ultimate goal is to change something. The skills you learn within this DBT module should optimize your ability to reach your goals within a given situation without hurting others or yourself.
Some of the lessons you’ll learn include:
In DBT, acronyms are used to help clients remember key skills, which are tried to objective effectiveness, relationship effectiveness, and self-respect effectiveness.
Emotion regulation focuses on your ability to effectively regulate your emotions so that intense emotions do not constantly interfere in your daily life.
While participating in DBT, you will learn how to:
Overall, emotion regulation will address three core goals:
If you or a loved one is struggling with borderline personality disorder, PTSD, or another condition treatable by DBT, Highland Springs is here to help. Fill out the form or contact us today for more information.
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