Skills-Based Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (dbt)
Many of the problems you are facing may be due to skills deficits. For example, the failure to use effective communication with your boss when it is needed is often a result of not knowing when or how to use a communication skill. While much of my work focuses on body-centered approaches, it is important that we also learn practical skills to help us navigate stress, relationships, work, family, our health, and so on. DBT is a skills-based approach that enables you to get unstuck from extreme positions and target new behaviors that will improve your life.
The Four Modules of DBT
Mindfulness - Mindfulness skills help you focus on the present moment and attend to what you notice in a calm way. It helps you slow down and focus on doing what is needed to care for yourself at that moment.
Distress Tolerance - You’ll learn how to not make a painful situation worse than it needs to be. This skill helps you get through difficult times when emotions are running high and helps you to soothe yourself in healthy ways, so you don’t become overwhelmed. This allows you to make wise decisions about whether and how to take action.
Emotion Regulation - Regulating emotions and building the ability to change or reduce the intensity of emotional responses without acting on them. You’ll learn about the function of emotions and how to not be swamped by them. You’ll be taught how to reduce emotional vulnerability by taking care of your body and mind while also increasing positive emotions by building a positive environment.
Interpersonal Effectiveness - These skills involve helping you understand what your needs are in your relationships and enables you to develop effective ways of dealing with others to get your needs met in a healthy way. This involves dealing with difficult people, listening and communicating effectively, respecting yourself and others, repairing relationships, and setting healthy boundaries.
