Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Research has demonstrated that an effective approach to Borderline-personality Disorder is Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This form of treatment was an adaption of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This form of therapy is designed to target the emotion dysregulation present in BPD and to reduce impulsive behaviors (Paris, 2010). In Joe’s case we have seen that at times he is not able to control his behavior. It was present as a teen when he was incapable of completing school task, abusive relationship with his wife and displaying aggression when being hospitalized. DBT focuses on empathic responses to distress that provide validation for the inner experience of patients (Paris, 2010). This particular form of therapy consists of individual

DBT emphasizes both acceptance and change in the process of healing (Bliss & McCardle, 2014). The aspect of the therapy places a lot of focus on the therapist. It is our job to teach the clients specific skills such as mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotions regulation, distress tolerance to help them deal with their intense emotions and to limit behavioral dysregulation (Linehan, 1993). Furthermore, these are all skills that Joe should aim to acquire to live a healthier life. Joe is still abusing drugs, but he desires to be discharged and live in the community. The skills he will learn from this form of therapy can reduce his drug use. The primary dialectic in DBT centers on the need to accept the client just as he or she is and to make necessary changes to improve the client’s quality of life (Bliss & McCardle, 2014). Joe has unfortunately faced many disappoints since very little. He’s abused drugs, attempted suicide and even has considered to kill people because he felt they were after him. All these factors are a clear implication that he’s never felt accepted for who he is and hasn’t been understood for his mental

We cannot push the client too hard to change his or her behavior, it may risk conveying that as therapist we do not understand their experience and they can drop out (Bliss & McCardle, 2014). One very important aspect of DBT is that it allows us to see the clients view and understand their difficulties. Through DBT mindfulness skills are explored in a skills group and reinforce these skills in individual therapy sessions in order to help the client accept negative or painful emotions, rather than to avoid them ((Bliss & McCardle, 2014). Joe’s experiences throughout life have never been faced the way it should be. Instead he would seek drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain he was undergoing. Through DBT he will acquire the skills necessary to cope with the wounds from the past and those to come. That will be aquired as the therapist employs traditional cognitive-behavioral strategies, including exposure, problem solving, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral skills training (Bliss & McCardle, 2014). This is very important when working with clients with BPD especially when they become easily irritable with situations that they can’t