Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training
The Four Area of DBT Skills Training for Borderline Personality
Jul 6, 2009
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) involves individual supportive counseling but one of it’s hallmarks is group DBT skills training sessions. In these meetings, valuable life skills are taught.
One of the goals of Dialectical Behavior Therapy is to help people build a life worth living. This provides the underlying motivation to learn and master the skills, because learning them is not about pleasing others, it is about pleasing the self.
There are four types of tools taught in DBT skills training. They are:
- Mindfulness skills;
- Distress tolerance skills;
- Emotional regulation skills, and;
- Interpersonal effectiveness skills.
The course of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder involves, among other things, incorporating and using these skills in the therapy and in daily life.
Mindfulness Skills in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Mindfulness skills in DBT come from the eastern spiritual traditions. These skills help people focus on the present moment and attend to what is happening in the here and now in a calm way that is not packed with emotion. It helps people slow down and focus on doing what is needed to care for the self in the moment while preventing an emotional spiral into crisis mode.
Distress Tolerance Skills in DBT
The set of skills in Dialectical Behavior Therapy known as distress tolerance helps people get through difficult times when emotions are running high. It helps people tend to the matters at hand even though they are feeling emotional. It helps people speak to themselves rationally so they are not overwhelmed by emotions. It helps and teaches people to soothe themselves in healthy ways when they are feeling upset.
Emotional Regulation Skills in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
The DBT emotional regulation skills help people understand their emotions better. It teaches people to decrease the intensity of their felt emotions and helps people ride out their strong emotions without acting on them. It provides basic education about the function of feelings and how to not be swamped by them.
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills in DBT
Interpersonal effectiveness skills are an essential part of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. This set of skills involves helping people understand what their needs are in their relationships, and helps develop effective ways of dealing with others in order to get one’s needs met in a healthy way. This involves respecting the self and others, listening and communicating effectively, being able to say no, dealing with difficult people and repairing relationships.
Who Benefits from DBT Skills Training?
DBT skills training can be very valuable to the individual with Borderline Personality Disorder if he or she makes the effort to master the skills taught. These skills are valuable tools that would benefit anyone. These are the type of skills that people often say should be taught in school.
In fact, DBT is effective not just for Borderline Personality Disorder. Teaching the skills to teens can be very useful. It is also used in families where the children have a conduct disorder. It is helpful with depression, substance dependence, schizophrenia, eating disorders, trauma and bipolar disorder, according to DBT therapist and clinical psychologist Dr. Cathy Moonshine.
The four DBT skills training areas are: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help the individual feel more peaceful, have more control over his or her behavior, be less swamped with emotions and get his or her needs met more in life. Making an effort to learn the skills can be helpful to any individual, especially those with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Other article of interest include What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy: The Meaning of "Dialectics" and Client Dialectical Dilemmas in DBT
This article is for information only and is not a substitute for personal mental health care. Anyone experiencing troubling symptoms should consult a doctor or mental health professional.
