1) Enhancing Capabilities: DBT skills acquisition through modeling, behavioral rehearsal (role play), coaching and feedback, review of therapy assignments, didactics and psychoeducation.

2) Generalizing skills to the environment: In DBT, we strive to ensure the skills you are learning become second nature in real life situations. This is why clients are held accountable to completing therapy assignments and utilizing phone coaching.

3) Improving Motivation and reducing harmful behaviors: This is accomplished through specific DBT strategies and interventions, primarily in individual sessions.

4) Enhancing/Maintaining Therapist’s capabilities and motivation: As your therapist, I am held to high standard to provide effective therapy through weekly consultations, supervision, trainings, and feedback.

The primary function of individual therapy is to enhance and improve capabilities through didactics, validation, behavioral rehearsal, chain analysis’, contingency management, and cognitive modification strategies. In session, we utilize specific tools that allow us to objectively track progress in therapy. Furthermore, we will put a magnifying glass under specific experiences, situations, or interactions that have historically resulted in unhelpful behaviors. While looking through the microscope we identify and build an understanding of the different “links” in the chain of events that lead to the problem behavior. These links often include thoughts, emotions, urges, and sensations. We then modify or replace these thinks with DBT skills that allows us to extinguish the unhelpful behaviors wile replacing them with new behaviors that cultivate confidence, personal growth, and fulfilment in our lives.

Yet another reason why DBT is considered a “comprehensive program” and not just a single modality, is due to the fact that client’s have the ability to maintain communication with their therapist in between sessions. The aim of phone coaching is to support clients in generalizing the DBT skills he or she is learning in session. For example, if you are struggling with regulating emotions after receiving tough news and you can’t recall which specific skill would be most helpful for you, you can call me, and I will guide you trough the skill in real time.

As a DBT therapist, I take your therapy very serious. I too have a responsibility to uphold DBT agreements, follow DBT structure, maintain commitment, e. One of the standards I am held to is being an active member of a DBT consultation team. This a team of DBT trained therapist who work together to treat their clients. As humans, we are all fallible to make mistakes. However, as a member of this team, I have the opportunity to lean on my team for direction, feedback, and supervision. Furthermore, I am held accountable. I meet with my team on a regular basis to ensure I continue to provide the most effective treatment possible.

As opposed to many forms of talk therapy, DBT utilizes specific tools that allow us to track progress. With these tools - you are never left in the dark and unsure about the direction of your therapy. One primary tool we utilize is called a diary card. Our diary card is a quick and easy way to increase our understanding and insight into our behavioral patterns in addition to providing affirmation that the skills I will teach are allowing you to the achieve the objectives you want.

One component of Comprehensive DBT is Skills Group. Skills group takes place once a week for 60-90 minutes. The time commitment for group is 6 months, and each member, ideally, will complete two rounds of group. This is a skills oriented group, meaning the focus is on the therapist teaching DBT skills. The group takes place via telehealth and members are provided with books and materials. Group consist of 6 - 8 people on average.