Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT for short) is a specific subtype of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT for short) originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder. The program focuses on learning and practicing emotional and interpersonal skills that are usually not well developed in people suffering with this condition.

DBT’s Five Core Modules/Skills

DBT contains a number of modules for building specific skills both in an individual and group setting. Training targets the development of five core skills:

• Mindfulness
• Distress Tolerance
• Emotion Regulation
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Self Management

The Case for Using DBT to Treat Bipolar Disorder

Beyond its role in DBT, mindfulness has gained a great deal of attention recently as a tool for helping in the treatment of a number of psychiatric conditions including depression and ADHD. The strategies of mindfulness are actually ancient techniques, but we are increasingly able to study and prove the brain benefits of these practices.