Dialectical Behavior Therapy
I chose to do my paper on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for a number of reasons. The most important reason was because I would like to get to know more about the skills training that is involved in Dialectical behavior therapy or (DBT). I also would like to know more about DBT as a whole. I strongly believe this will be a great self help tool for me as well.
I started my research by getting the Wikipedia definition of DBT. My summary of the definition is as follows: It’s a form of psychotherapy that was developed by Marsha M. Linehan. She was a professor of Psychology and adjunct professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Linehan specializes mostly in patients that are suicidal and have Borderline Personality Disorder or (BPD). The National Institute of Mental Health describes BPD as a “serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships.” Linehan’s DBT has a very limited research field based on how effectively it treats other disorders in the past but is now used in a variety of Psychological disorders including but not limited to eating disorders and drug dependency.
DBT is made up of four different skill Modules. The four modules consist of: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT Skills Group of New Jersey, 2012 states that “They are designed to specifically assist individuals in better managing behaviors, emotions and thoughts. The intent is to help people who experience problems with anger or the expression of anger, episodic depression, irritability or anxiety, intense or chaotic relationships, impulsivity, stress and feelings of emptiness.”
Before I get into the structure of the skill therapy of DBT, I would