Our therapists offer DBT / dialectical behavior therapy in Colorado Springs, CO

My go-to approach for helping people who are engaging in DBT is to help the client identify the skills and areas of life they would like to improve, and incorporate components of DBT as necessary.

I teach the following tools in dialectical behavior therapy:

• How to communicate with themselves and others
• Mindfulness - the ability to think about one's thinking, the ability to “let go” of racing thoughts
• Distress tolerance - the ability to tolerate distressing events as necessary
• Emotional regulation - the ability to use skills and strategies to regulate difficult emotions
• Boundary setting

A client is making meaningful progress in dialectical behavioral therapy when they are able to utilize the skills they learn in therapy and apply them outside of therapy the majority of the time. DBT is not about getting it “right” all the time, but rather shifting the way one communicates with themselves and others to improve the likelihood of positive outcomes.

In their personal time, clients can supplement skills learned in DBT by ensuring they know how to engage with different coping skills prior to needing them. This is like completing a fire drill; we want to know what to do in an urgent situation before the moment arises.

DBT is a modality that I will use regardless of most clients' presenting concerns, so the client need not be worried about how to prepare specifically for this approach. I encourage individuals to simply show up as they are, and to not put too much pressure on themselves. You get to decide how much information you share in the first session.