DBT

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a treatment that was originally created by Marsha Linehan and her team to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Folks with BPD have what’s called pervasive emotion dysregulation—in other words, they struggle to identify what they’re feeling, don’t have the skills to effectively manage the emotions that arise, and end up turning to problem behaviors (such as suicide attempts, self-harming behaviors, or substance use), in an attempt to cope.

The Problem: “Who Am I?”

By Cedar R. Koons, MSW, LCSW

Your session is almost complete and you and your client are ready to say goodbye. You are both walking to the door and suddenly your client says, “By the way…” and tells you something worrisome. It could be anything from “I’ve decided to go off my medication” to “I just met this woman and we’re getting married!” Why didn’t your client tell you this at the beginning of the session?

Editor’s note: The following interview is with April West, PsyD, co-author with Matthew McKay, PhD of Emotion Efficacy Therapy: A Brief, Exposure-Based Treatment for Emotion Regulation Integrating ACT and DBT. West is a psychotherapist and emotion researcher based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

By Britt H. Rathbone, MSSW, LCSW-C

How do you effectively manage phone coaching with adolescents in DBT? By Britt H. Rathbone, MSSW, LCSW-C Therapists often identify phone coaching as a reason they are reluctant to implement dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with adolescents. They fear that this necessary component of the treatment will be disruptive, unmanageable, and personally overwhelming. How do therapists avoid resentment, anger, and frustration with their clients while being available after hours?