Not at all. People who ask for help know when they need it and have the courage to reach out. Everyone needs help now and then.

A mental health professional is trained to help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. We also are an objective person who will keep your confidences and help you discover your inner wisdom.

Medication can be effective but it alone cannot solve all issues. Sometimes medication is needed in conjunction with counseling. We will thoroughly assess your needs for both medication and therapy and we will respect your choices on both. We believe sometimes the best outcomes happen when you combine medication with evidenced based therapy approaches.

Unfortunately, this is not possible to say. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time counseling and/or medication management can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek counseling in the first place.

We are so glad you are dedicated to getting the most out of your sessions. Your active participation and dedication will be crucial to your success. As we teach you new skills, it is helpful to practice these skills as often as you can between sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment that was originally developed to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and it is now recognized as the gold standard psychological treatment for this population. In addition, research has shown that it is effective in treating a wide range of other disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders.

The main goal of DBT is to help clients build a life worth living.

DBT may be effective for individuals that exhibit any of the following characteristics:

Emotion Dysregulation:

• Quickly shifting from one intense emotion to another

• Problems with anger

• Feeling like emotions control your life

Interpersonal Dysregulation:

•  Chaotic relationships

•  Fear of being abandoned in relationships

Self Dysregulation:

•  Feeling a sense of emptiness

•  Feeling confused about who you are and what you want in your life

Behavioral Dysregulation:

• Self injury

• Frequent suicidal thoughts and/or urges

• Impulsive behaviors that are self damaging

Cognitive Dysregulation: 

• Extreme (black and white) thinking

• “Detached” thinking, ranging from problems with inattention to dissociation

• Paranoid thinking

While dialectical behavioral therapy was initially developed to treat those with borderline personality disorder, research has since shown that DBT can successfully treat people with depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

Comprehensive DBT treatment consists of a weekly DBT skills class and weekly individual therapy sessions. The individual therapy sessions allow you to have one-on-one contact with a trained therapist who will help you apply DBT skills to your daily life, address any obstacle that may arise and keep you motivated! The DBT skills class will learn new skills in all areas of your life.

In its standard form, there are four components of DBT: skills training group, individual treatment, DBT phone coaching, and consultation team.

1. DBT skills training group is focused on enhancing clients’ capabilities by teaching them behavioral skills. The group is run like a class where the group leader teaches the skills and assigns homework for clients to practice using the skills in their everyday lives. Groups meet on a weekly basis for approximately 2.5 hours and it takes 24 weeks to get through the full skills curriculum, which is often repeated to create a 1-year program. Briefer schedules that teach only a subset of the skills have also been developed for particular populations and settings.

2. DBT individual therapy is focused on enhancing client motivation and helping clients to apply the skills to specific challenges and events in their lives. In the standard DBT model, individual therapy takes place once a week for as long as the client is in therapy and runs concurrently with skills groups.

3. DBT phone coaching is focused on providing clients with in-the-moment coaching on how to use skills to effectively cope with difficult situations that arise in their everyday lives. Clients can call their individual therapist between sessions to receive coaching at the times when they need help the most.

4. DBT therapist consultation team is intended to support DBT providers in their work with clients.

In order for clinicians to say they are providing a comprehensive DBT program, all four components of DBT must be offered.

Many of us live our daily lives with a constant stream of uncontrollable painful emotions right under our awareness. These emotions affect how we feel about ourselves and how we interact with other people, including friends, romantic partners and family members.

DBT essentially works with individuals to help them find ways to manage their unwanted emotions so they can feel balanced, in control and able to interact effectively. The message at the heart of DBT is acceptance and change.

If you are interested in exploring DBT therapy, you want to look for a therapist with specialized training and experience in DBT strategies. The Linehan Board of Certification is a non-profit organization that has developed certification standards for DBT clinicians. DBT Network of Utah has three Linehan Board Certified Clinicians and others who are working toward certification.

If you or someone you know may benefit from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, please get in touch with us. We would be happy to discuss our Comprehensive DBT program with you.