DBT Techniques

The idea of DBT is to teach essential skills and techniques through the four following components:

Mindfulness

The premise of mindfulness is to teach the individual to be focused on the present moment and feel grounded. This technique is useful for those struggling with an unstable sense of self and/or those who have difficulty focusing on the present.

This technique encourages the individual to pay attention to what is happening around them and inside them, such as their thoughts and feelings. People who complete mindfulness will learn to focus on their thoughts in a nonjudgmental way and notice any negative thoughts that may arise.

For example, a mindfulness exercise may involve paying close attention to the physical sensations while slowly eating a raisin and noticing any thoughts or feelings that arise. This teaches being present with the current experience.

After focusing on the present moment, the idea is that the automatic negative thoughts are not engaged, resulting in feeling more settled.

This, therefore, teaches healthy coping skills to those struggling with negative thoughts.

Emotion regulation

Learning to regulate emotions is a component of DBT that aims to help individuals be more comfortable and accepting of their own emotions.

This technique helps people learn how to manage their difficult emotions, which may arise, so that the intense emotions they experience do not control the situation.

For instance, if someone feels angry during a disagreement with a friend, they can be taught to take some deep breaths, consciously relax their body, and consider the situation more objectively before responding.

Through emotional regulation, people are taught that they may experience intense emotions, but they can choose how to react to them healthily.

They can also learn to avoid situations that they know will trigger strong emotions, which will help them have more positive emotional experiences overall.

Distress tolerance

As people experiencing issues with their mental health may encounter a lot of distress, the component of distress tolerance in DBT is important to learn how to manage upsetting situations.

This technique aims to help individuals think about some helpful things they can do to manage their behaviour and emotions so that they do not act impulsively or risky, with potentially harmful consequences.

For example, when stuck in traffic, rather than getting angry, one can practice distraction by listening to music or imagery by imagining being in a favourite relaxed setting.

This component can help with challenging negative thought patterns. For instance, instead of thinking, ‘It’s not fair,’ they may ask themselves, ‘Can I control the situation?’

If they realize the situation cannot be controlled, they learn to accept it for what it is.

This skill can help individuals prepare for intense emotions they may experience and use distraction techniques to help decrease feelings of distress (e.g., listening to music or going for a walk).

Interpersonal effectiveness

The final component of DBT is interpersonal effectiveness, which aims to teach individuals to communicate in healthy and respectable ways.

To demonstrate interpersonal effectiveness, clients are often given roleplay scenarios to practice assertiveness skills. This may involve refusing an unreasonable request or appropriately asking to meet a need.

Clients learn to express themselves clearly while respecting others’ boundaries.

This technique can also help build listening and conflict resolution skills and help build trust with others, which can be a big issue for those with BDP.

Individuals can also learn to deal with challenging people in a healthy manner, acknowledge others’ thoughts and feelings, and ask for what they need clearly.