Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
When emotions feel incredibly intense, it can be hard to stay in control, tolerate stress, or feel secure within yourself and in your relationships. Treatment can help you break free from these overwhelming patterns and build a life that feels more worth living.
Wise Mind Counseling provides Linehan Board Certified DBT helping clients manage difficult emotions, strengthen relationships, and build a life worth living.
How DBT Helps
DBT is a practical, comprehensive, and collaborative approach that includes the following concepts.:
- Mindfulness (Non-judgmental awareness): You will learn to anchor yourself in the present moment, allowing you to observe intense emotions, thoughts, and urges without judgment or being overwhelmed by them. Staying present this way allows you to choose how to respond, helps you tolerate stress, communicate more effectively, and build healthier relationships.
- Behaviorism (Making practical changes): We work together to identify behaviors that are keeping you stuck or making situations worse. By breaking down your patterns, we help you replace ineffective behaviors and ways of coping with research-based, practical skills.
- Dialectics (Balancing acceptance & change): Healing requires a powerful balance. You will learn to acknowledge and accept emotions, yourself, others, and situations as they are, without judgment.. At the same time, you use skills to change emotions, behaviors, and situations that no longer serve you and build a life that feels more balanced.
These concepts interact to create a path forward. Mindfulness is used to increase acceptance and behaviorism to create change, while dialectics is continuously balancing the approaches.
How DBT Works
Comprehensive DBT Therapy is structured to give you maximum support. A standard program includes three main components:
- Individual Therapy: Sessions focused on your specific goals. You work collaboratively with your therapist to address behaviors you choose to change, and figure out how to apply new DBT skills to your everyday life.
- Skills Training: You learn skills in the following four areas: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
- Between-Session Coaching: Access to real-time phone coaching to support you in using new skills in the moment.
Questions About DBT
What is the difference between CBT and DBT? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. It is commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, and other concerns where changing thoughts and behaviors can improve symptoms. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a specialized form of CBT, originally developed to treat individuals with chronic suicidal behaviors and borderline personality disorder. It is recognized as the leading evidence-based treatment for difficulties involving intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, and relationships.
DBT integrates mindfulness and acceptance concepts into traditional CBT. While both treatments are highly effective, the recommended treatment will be related to your symptoms and goals.
Why is Linehan Certification important? Dr. Marsha Linehan developed dialectical behavior therapy. Working with a Linehan Board Certified DBT therapist means receiving care from a clinician who has demonstrated the knowledge and clinical competence to provide adherent DBT.
Do I have to do weekly therapy, skills group, and phone coaching? Comprehensive and gold-standard DBT includes individual therapy, skills training, and between-session phone coaching because research shows this structure provides the best outcomes. The research is always evolving. Wise Mind Counseling offers individual DBT with skills training and phone coaching. Treatment is adapted to meet your specific goals and needs.
DBT in Green Bay
Green Bay Location:
321 Saint George Street
Green Bay, WI, 54302
Wise Mind Counseling provides Linehan Board Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay, and Door County, as well as virtually throughout Wisconsin.
Tailored to your unique needs. Emotion, relationship, and behavior concerns can present differently for everyone. I offer specialized DBT that is carefully adapted to your specific symptoms, priorities in therapy, and life worth living goals.