Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Author(s):  
Shireen L. Rizvi ◽  
Kristen M. Roman

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based, psychosocial treatment originally developed for suicidal individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is now broadly seen as the treatment of choice for individuals with BPD. DBT is a comprehensive, cognitive-behavioral treatment designed to help a client achieve a “life worth living.” Research on DBT’s effectiveness is compelling and was the first to empirically demonstrate that individuals with BPD and severe emotional dysregulation and/or suicidal behavior could be effectively treated with a psychosocial therapy. As the research literature on DBT continues to grow, it will be important to move beyond randomized clinical trials comparing DBT to control treatments and instead focus on identifying important predictors and mediators of change. This chapter describes the foundation and theoretical underpinnings of DBT, provides details about the structure of DBT in all its components, and summarizes some existing research. A detailed case example is provided.

Author(s):  
Alexander L. Chapman ◽  
Nora H. Hope

Developed to treat highly suicidal patients and often associated with the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has evolved into a transdiagnostic treatment addressing emotion dysregulation. DBT is an emotion-focused, comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment including individual therapy, group skills training, between-session skills coaching (phone coaching), and a therapist consultation team. Several elements of DBT address emotion dysregulation directly or indirectly, including emotion regulation skills, distress tolerance strategies to dampen physiological arousal and curb impulses to engage in problematic behaviors, and individual therapy interventions to reduce emotion dysregulation. Growing evidence suggests that DBT may address behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and neurobiological aspects of emotion dysregulation. Future directions should include increasing multimethod research on the effects of DBT on emotion dysregulation, streamlining treatment, making DBT more efficient and targeted, and conceptualizing DBT’s place within the spectrum of other emotion-focused transdiagnostic treatments.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Lucena

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive multiple mode cognitive-behavioral treatment. It includes weekly individual therapy, weekly group skills training, and as-needed phone coaching along with therapist consultation team meetings. DBT skills training is a central component of DBT effectiveness. Skills training programs have been reported to be effective in different populations, such as health care professionals, caregivers of the elderly, and college students. Skills training has also been effective to treat individuals with a range of mental disorders. The overall objective of the workshop is to describe a set of behavioral, cognitive and dialectical skills which can facilitate the development and maintenance of healthy relationships. Participants will be able to apply the principles of dialects, validation and behavioral analysis to their thoughts and actions; be able to develop effective communication; and find a kernel of truth in other people’s views. The skills presented are important for individuals with or without a diagnosis of mental disorder, and they can be helpful in any relationship. There are three skill sets: dialectics, validation, and behavior change strategies. Taken together, the skills focus on balancing our own priorities with the demands of others in interpersonal relationships. During the ninety-minute interactive workshop, skills will be presented alongside individual and small group exercises given by one presenter. The language of the workshop will be English, however questions can be asked in French, Spanish or Portuguese and will be answered in English.


Psychotherapy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor N. Coyle ◽  
Charlotte D. Brill ◽  
Frances M. Aunon ◽  
A. Paige Peterson ◽  
Melissa L. Gasser ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Jan Willer

One out of every 10 adult psychotherapy clients—or more—probably has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When psychotherapists miss the ADHD, treatment is frustrating and less effective. This book is for the general mental health professional who wishes to learn how to recognize, assess, and treat adult ADHD. Adults with ADHD are very different, developmentally and symptomatically, from children. ADHD affects adults of all races, gender identities, and backgrounds, and obvious hyperactivity is rarely part of the adult clinical picture. This book provides a full description of adult ADHD symptoms, based on the most current research, including executive functioning problems, emotional dysregulation, atypical reward sensitivity, and problems with time perception. Complete guidance to recognizing adult ADHD is provided, including behavior displayed during psychotherapy, developmental issues, educational challenges, and adaptive functioning problems. Depression, anxiety, self-image issues, and substance abuse are addressed, since these mental health problems are commonly associated with adult ADHD. Guidance is provided to help the mental health practitioner provide psychoeducation about cognitive differences in ADHD, which is essential for client self-acceptance and adaptive functioning. Common psychotherapy problems with ADHD clients are addressed, including chronic lateness to sessions, missed appointments, motivation problems, difficulties with homework, and tangentiality. The principles of cognitive-behavioral treatment of ADHD are provided, along with case examples to illustrate the implementation of these techniques. An overview of medications for ADHD is provided, including their benefits, contraindications, and side effects. Nontraditional treatments are reviewed for their effectiveness.


Author(s):  
Evan M. Forman ◽  
Meghan L. Butryn

Millions of people attempt to lose weight every year, but most will not succeed. Simply learning about a new diet and exercise plan is not enough. This book presents 25 detailed sessions of an empirically supported, cognitive-behavioral treatment package called acceptance-based behavioral treatment (ABT) that has now been utilized successfully in five large National Institute of Health–sponsored clinical trials. The foundation of this approach is comprised of the nutritional, physical activity, and behavioral components of the most successful, gold-standard behavioral weight loss packages, such as Look Ahead and the Diabetes Prevention Project. These components are synthesized with acceptance, willingness, behavioral commitment, motivation, and relapse prevention strategies drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy and relapse prevention therapy. ABT is premised on the idea that specialized self-control skills are necessary for weight control, given our innate desire to consume delicious foods and to conserve energy. These self-control skills revolve around a willingness to choose behaviors that may be perceived as uncomfortable for the sake of a more valuable objective. The treatment focuses on both weight loss and weight loss maintenance and aims to confer lifelong skills that facilitate long-term weight control. This companion Client Workbook contains summaries of session content, worksheets, handouts, and assignments.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
A. Freeman

The patient with a narcissistic personality disorder may be among the most difficult patients in the clinician's caseload to treat. They may take more time in therapy, more of the theraapist's energy, and overwhelm the therapist's ability to dea;l with the countertransference. Given their self-serving and demanding style, they are more frequently "sent" to therapy than electing to come for treatment. Thus the morivation for therapy and for change is severely limited. The patient's ability to establish a working therapeutic bond is also limited by the very nature of their disorder. Given all of this they can be treated. The active, directive, structred, and problem oriented facets of Cognitive Behavior Therapy make this model an ideal treatment modality. Helping the patient to examine what is in their best personal interest, the therapy proceeds by examining the patienbt's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1090-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Knouse ◽  
John T. Mitchell ◽  
Nathan A. Kimbrel ◽  
Arthur D. Anastopoulos

Objective: The clinical literature on ADHD in adults suggests that “overly positive” or optimistic cognitions may contribute to impairment and failure to use self-regulation skills in this population, yet the research literature on this topic is limited. We developed the ADHD Cognitions Scale (ACS), a brief self-report measure of ADHD-related thoughts, and evaluated its psychometric properties. Method: We collected self-report measures, inculding the ACS, from two large community samples ( Ns = 262, 304). Results: The measure demonstrated a one-factor solution that replicated in the second sample. Evidence of good internal consistency and also convergent and divergent validity was obtained for both samples. Scores on the ACS correlated with functional impairment, time management problems, and avoidant coping strategies. Conclusion: With additional study, the ACS may be useful to identify and track maladaptive ADHD-related cognitions during cognitive-behavioral treatment, and to further study the role of these thoughts in ADHD-related impairment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Cavicchioli ◽  
Lavinia Barone ◽  
Donatella Fiore ◽  
Monica Marchini ◽  
Paola Pazzano ◽  
...  

This perspective paper aims at discussing theoretical principles that could explain how emotion regulation and physical diseases mutually influence each other in the context of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Furthermore, this paper discusses the clinical implications of the functional relationships between emotion regulation, BPD and medical conditions considering dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as a well-validated therapeutic intervention, which encompasses these issues. The inflexible use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., suppression, experiential avoidance, and rumination) might directly increase the probability of developing physical diseases through a physiological pathway, or indirectly through a behavioral pathway. Some metabolic and chronic medical conditions could significantly impact emotional functioning through biological alterations involved in emotion regulation. Several empirical studies have shown high co-occurrence rates between BPD and several chronic physical diseases, especially ones linked to emotion-based maladaptive behaviors. DBT addresses physical diseases reported by individuals with BPD reducing problematic behaviors functionally associated to emotion dysregulation and identifying physical health as a goal for Building a Life Worth Living.


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