Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an effective set of coping and self-regulatory skills that help one to pause before responding to heightened emotional and physiological reactions.
Through the practices of Mindfulness observation and Sensory Awareness, you can learn to regulate your emotional states and develop more effective responses to life and interpersonal challenges. In addition to learning Mindfulness practices that help develop present-moment awareness, DBT teaches practical coping strategies in the following skill areas:
Emotional Regulation Skills: Emotional Awareness; Decreasing Negative Emotions; Increasing Positive Emotions; Changing Your Current Emotion.
Distress Tolerance Skills: Identifying Triggers of Distress; Developing Skills to Decrease Emotional Reactivity; Learning to Tolerate and Accept the Current Moment (Radical Acceptance).
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills: Identifying Needs and Wants; Balancing Individual Needs Versus
Relationship Goals; Asking for What You Want; Saying No; Setting Healthy Boundaries.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) additionally provides a structured approach to working with specific emotional triggers, which can lead to irrational thinking and extreme behaviors and reactions. Through a process of identifying emotional distress triggers and evaluating one's underlying distorted or irrational beliefs, one can learn to change one's reactions and develop a more realistic understanding of oneself, others, and the greater world. Mood shifts and alterations can also be explored, both in therapy and in one's present-moment experiences, leading to opportunities to shift and grow as life is occurring.
Mindfulness is a present-focused awareness practice that can be applied to any situation at any time. Learning to objectively observe what is occurring in the present moment not only provides greater clarity and focus, but also allows space to consider various options for responding while maintaining an inner sense of calm, peace, compassion, and understanding.
Copyright © 2019 Matt Porter MFT - All Rights Reserved.
California Licensed Psychotherapist MFC 42042