DBT Therapy Birmingham
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based talking therapy which has been adapted from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It pays special attention to the management of intense emotions.
DBT therapy aims to assist individuals to make positive changes by learning more helpful ways of thinking and behaving, whilst also accepting themselves at the same time. Clients are encouraged to explore their challenging thoughts and feelings for understanding, but also to accept these as well.
“Dialectic” was used by the Greek philosopher Socrates to mean the “art of discussion”. And “Dialectics” refers to a manner of philosophical argument involving contradiction and opposing sides. In DBT therapy this relates specifically to the idea that we can accept two different things as true; psychologist Carl Rogers summed it up perfectly when he stated:
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself, just as I am, then I can change.” In Dialectic Behaviour Therapy this is the idea that we can accept who we are, and our intense feelings, but also realise that we can learn skills to manage them more usefully, and therefore create positive change.
At Phinity we will start with an Initial Assessment, sometimes known as the pre-treatment phase of DBT. This allows us to understand if DBT is appropriate for your needs. If it is, initial sessions will orient you to the approach so that you can learn about and understand the model.
If you decide that DBT therapy could be useful for you, and are committed to it, we will begin treatment. Goals for DBT will involve keeping you safe from harmful and risky behaviours, learning to minimise behaviours that might obstruct therapy, understanding the issues that are standing in the way of your goals, and improving life quality.
We will work together to assist you to change unhelpful behaviours and replace them with newly acquired skills that will help you achieve your goals. DBT therapy involves between session tasks, or ‘homework’ which aim to monitor your feelings and behaviour and notice unhelpful triggers and patterns that you can work with in sessions.
Sessions are weekly and last 50 minutes. You will learn acceptance and change techniques, and acquire skills, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation. A full course of DBT therapy can take six months, and may go beyond this, dependant on severity.
- Achieve your goals for therapy and beyond
- Make positive changes in your life
- Learn skills to support you and help life feel more manageable
- Change your relationship with yourself and others for better life quality
- Develop a sense of optimism about your future due to all the above
- Make sense of the reasons for your feelings and behaviour toward self-acceptance
- Better cope with intense emotions and change your behaviour
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is often recommended for borderline personality disorder (BDP), as this is where much of the research has been focused. Notwithstanding, it has also proven effective in treating other personality disorders and various mental health conditions.
These include:
- Mood disorders (for example, depression)
- Suicidal ideation and behaviours
- Criminal behaviour
- Self-harm
We offer private DBT therapy in Birmingham. Phinity Therapy also serve other cities and countries through our network of qualified therapists. Online therapy is also available, catering for those who cannot reach our clinic or have busy schedules.
Make a commitment to taking control and living the life you want and deserve. Start by booking your Free Initial Consultation Today and speak to one of our friendly principal therapists about your concerns and desired goals.
You can alternatively fill in our contact form located on our About Us page, or give us a call.
*Due to limited time slot availability caused by high demand, we now offer only one Free Initial Consultation for prospective clients, further conversations are charged at our normal rate.
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