Our therapists offer DBT / dialectical behavior therapy in Meridian, ID

My go-to approach for helping people in DBT is validation. I understand that people are doing the best that they can, trying their best, and generally want to feel better. However, I balance this validation with the idea that what they've been doing so far hasn't worked well for them, so our job is to work on finding something that works better for them and their lives.

I teach DBT skills including mindfulness (observe, describe, and participate nonjudgmentally, one-mindfully, and effectively), interpersonal effectiveness tools (especially how to interact with others without alienating them and while achieving goals and maintaining or enhancing self-respect), emotion regulation (learning to understand and work effectively with emotions), and distress tolerance (surviving intense emotions and urges without making the situation worse). I also teach behavioral chain analysis, troubleshooting the above skills, and how to use the diary card (essential for tracking progress).

I know a client is making meaningful progress in DBT when their diary card shows increased effectiveness of the DBT skills in helping them regulate mood, interact with others, and respond to urges for self-harm/harm to others. Clients will report successful use of skills as well as a variety of DBT skills used for a variety of stressors. Subjectively, clients report their life feels more positive and worth living when they have experienced progress in DBT.

Clients can supplement their time in DBT by doing the diary card every day, logging skills use and effectiveness, and consciously and actively practicing the DBT skills and topics discussed in sessions.

To prepare for their first DBT session, an individual can research what goes on in DBT and what to expect when engaging in DBT. Specifically, they can research diary cards, what support looks like in DBT, and how to access the therapy and therapist in the most effective manner.