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Dialectical Therapy Model

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was created by Marsha Linehan and is broadly based on cognitive-behavioral treatment. DBT was originally developed to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (Linehan, 2015). DBT uses skills training to help individuals change emotional, behavioral and interpersonal patterns that affect present day living. There are four (4) skills training modules: Mindfulness Skills, Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills, Emotion Regulation Skills and Distress Tolerance Skills.
Historical Evolution of DBT
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was created by Marsha Linehan in 1993. Linehan originally developed the DBT model to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (Linehan, 2015). Linehan (1993) notes that individuals …show more content…

53). Basic DBT assumptions include (1) people are doing the best they can, (2) people want to improve, (3) people need to do better, try harder , and be more motivated to change, (4) people may not have caused all of their own problems, but they have to solve them anyway, (5)new behavior has to be learned in all relevant contexts, (6) all behaviors (actions, thoughts, emotions) are caused, (7) figuring out and changing the causes of behavior is a more effective way to change than judgment and blaming (Linehan, …show more content…

It is imperative to validate normative behaviors. Validation is the acknowledgment of what is valid and does not mean “to make” valid. Clinicians recognize the validity within clients’ emotional responses. Validation requires radical genuineness on the part of the clinician to see the client as he/she is. Clinicians understand that clients’ responses make sense given the client’s current life context or situation.
Phone consultation is another intervention used in DBT. Clients are encouraged to call therapists when they are experiencing crises in between sessions. The therapist provides a brief 10-15 minute coaching session to help the client mange the crisis, apply appropriate skill sets, and limit impulsive and destructive behaviors. Phone consultation is not to act as an individual session and only serves to be an extra level of support (Linehan, 2015). It is important that therapists discuss the limits of phone consultation with clients before beginning DBT treatment.
Homework is an essential part of DBT skills training. Assigning practice homework and skills worksheets encourages the client to practice skill sets outside of session and in everyday life. The review of homework assignments ensures that the client understands the concepts within each module and is applying the appropriate skills in particular

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