The Basics of DBT... And Why I'm a Raving Fan

By Ashley Miers

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that was developed by Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s to help treat Borderline Personality Disorder. It has since been shown to be effective across a variety of conditions including Bipolar Disorder, Substance Abuse, Anxiety, Depression and Eating Disorders.

DBT therapy involves weekly individual and group therapy sessions, homework assignments and role-playing. It is a “skills-based” therapy and teaches practical, actionable skills that help with managing black and white thinking and sudden/extreme emotional reactions.

DBT consists of four modules:

1. Mindfulness
   This module focuses on helping a person to be present and and non-judgmental.

2. Interpersonal Effectiveness

   This module helps people to navigate relationships effectively, including getting needs met, maintaining harmony in relationships, and increasing self-respect.

3. Distress Tolerance
   This module involves learning skills that help with tolerating intense emotions so that a person is not at the mercy of “knee-jerk reactions” (which can often make the situation worse). Instead, the person is taught to accept reality as it is - which means being able to sit with discomfort when necessary.

4. Emotion Regulation
   This module focuses on helping a person to understand his/her emotions and reduce vulnerability to them. Emotions are assessed in terms of whether they “fit the facts” and also in terms of whether acting on them is effective. The person is taught skills for changing emotions when they are either inappropriate or ineffective.

I personally completed a 3-month DBT program that helped IMMENSELY with my recovery. Through the combination of sobriety, social support, DBT, Kundalini (and my own willingness and effort), I was able to learn to become more mindful, to tolerate distress, to regulate my emotions and to be more effective in my relationships (and my life)! This meant I was able to stop self-harming and start loving and accepting myself.

My favorite part of DBT is that it is skills-based. This method provides tangible, hands-on things we can do in the moment to avoid making situations and suffering worse, and to start moving in the direction of improving the outcomes we experience.

Imagine the types of outcomes we might experience if we lash out in anger and start breaking things or harming our bodies. Worst case scenario - we could end up in jail, a hospital, dead, or harming or killing someone we care about. Now imagine how dramatically different the outcomes could be if we were able to feel our anger without acting on it, choose a kind and effective response, resolve the situation in a positive way, and maintain harmony in our relationship(s). It’s the difference between a chaotic, painful life and a loving, beautiful one full of growth and opportunity.

That is the power of DBT.

If you are interested in learning more about DBT skills (and Kundalini Yoga) and learning how to apply these practices in your own life, I encourage you to check out my Virtual Women’s Support/Skills Calls. I hold 2 calls per week and also maintain a library of previous calls that are available at your convenience as part of a monthly membership.

(Disclaimer: these calls are a complement to any recovery protocol and are not a substitute for (nor are they claiming to be) a DBT therapy program.)