Therapy and support for Gosford and other Central Coast clients

Occasionally, feeling sad, anxious, or angry is a normal part of a healthy human experience. But do you seem to experience emotions far more quickly, frequently, and intensely than most people? If you do, you may be having trouble with emotion dysregulation.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, more commonly called DBT, is a hybrid of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (with an emphasis on the here and now) and dialectal thinking (emphasising the limitations of rigid, categorical thinking), combined with Zen Buddhism (the concept of Mindfulness) as well as metaphorical thinking (viewing situations practically). DBT targets emotion regulation by focusing on four key areas:

Core Mindfulness techniques: Designed to encourage a focus on the present, which has the unintended consequence of unwanted thoughts being more tolerable.

Interpersonal effectiveness skills: DBT assumes relationships like a tall, leafy tree. As much as a tree needs healthy roots to nourish and anchor it, relationships also require strong foundations so that we feel valued and connected. As the roots grow, the tree becomes bigger, stronger, and more developed, potentially even bearing fruit. Similarly, for a relationship to thrive, its roots must be healthy and nurtured. Interpersonal skills help build and maintain healthier relationships.

Emotion regulation skills: We will never have complete control over what we feel, but we have much more influence over how we feel than we might realise. Science-based exercises can increase your capacity to understand and regulate emotions using several strategies or tools that foster emotional intelligence.

Distress tolerance skills: Improves your ability to handle difficult emotions, helping you more quickly return to equilibrium.

WHAT DOES DIALECTAL BEHAVIOUR THERAPY (DBT) LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?

DBT usually targets behaviours in the following order:

Addressing and reducing self-harm and high-risk suicidal behaviours.

Reducing responses or behaviours that interfere with therapy.

Reducing behaviours that decrease quality of life.

Addressing Post Traumatic Stress responses.

Improving self-respect.

Providing behavioural skills (the four shown above).

Additional goals set by the client

WHAT ISSUES ARE BEST TREATED WITH DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOUR THERAPY?

DBT is the most empirically validated treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. It is also effective in treating people who suffer from spectrum mood disorders (including self-harm), substance dependence and sexual abuse survivors.