Our therapists offer DBT / dialectical behavior therapy in Maitland, FL

My go-to approach for helping people in dialectical behavior therapy is to help people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, as well as learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviors. I prefer to teach clients how to recognize, understand, label, and regulate their emotions and how to handle situations with others that result in negative or painful emotions. I find this work very practical.

I teach the following tools in dialectical behavior therapy:

• Mindfulness: learn how to focus on the present moment and cultivate an awareness of thoughts and feelings without judgment.
• Distress tolerance: learn how to get through difficult or distressing situations and soothe oneself instead of trying to escape via self-destructive behaviors.
• Emotion-regulation: learn skills to better understand and manage emotions so the client can avoid engaging in impulsive, self-destructive behaviors.
• Interpersonal effectiveness: learn how to communicate needs, relate to others, and create and respect boundaries.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in dialectical behavior therapy when there are decreased self-destructive behaviors, increased functioning in activities of daily living, increased engagement, and a reduced number of emergency department (ED) visits, crisis services, and hospital admissions.

Clients can supplement their time in dialectical behavior therapy by keeping a daily diary card to track emotions, practicing mindfulness exercises, or role-playing difficult conversations with a friend or family member.

To prepare for their first dialectical behavior therapy session, an individual can reflect on their goals and what they hope will be different in their life as a result of therapy. Know that the first session involves a lot of gathering of background information, but the second and third sessions will begin to feel different. Be ready for change to take time. And if possible, clients should schedule their appointment with reflection time before and after the session.