Dialectical Behavior Treatment (DBT) Tools

DBT is a treatment program which was designed by Marsha Linehan to help clients who struggle to find reason to continue living. DBT is based on the Biosocial Theory and is intended to help those who are highly sensitive to their environment, are highly reactive to events, and slow to return to calm. Their childhood environment was either invalidating or chaotic. Many of these clients have experienced some form of trauma, and may seek perfectionism.

DBT assumes that clients are doing the best they can and they want to get better. Their lives may seem unbearable. Clients may not have caused all their problems, but they need to learn to solve them anyway. Clients learn that emotions are normal and natural. They learn new skills and learn to apply them in all contexts. Clients cannot fail in DBT.