Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Greenacres, and Online Across Florida
If you find yourself wanting to escape from your life, DBT will help you surmount that feeling.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), known as DBT, is an evidence-based, skills-based model of therapy. It’s a structured form of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to help people manage intense emotions. It focuses on the balance between accepting yourself as you are and working to change harmful behaviors.
DBT was initially developed by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan to treat borderline personality disorder, self-destructive behavior, and suicidality, but research has shown it to be effective in treating anxiety, stress, substance use disorders and process addictions, low self-esteem, trauma, depression, and impulse control.
Dialectics refers to the presence of opposing forces or constructs. The term dialectics as it is used today originated with Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in the 19th century.
A popular example is that we can love someone and also have powerfully negative feelings toward them. Another example is that we can acknowledge that at any moment, there are things over which we are powerless, but there are also things over which we have power.
That juxtaposition in our lives creates a tug-of-war in our emotional state — a dialectic. Therapy helps us learn how to live with that inner conflict and still find peace of mind - whether we encounter that turmoil in our heads or our environments.
Some of the dialectics we might work through:
Acceptance and change
Empowerment and powerlessness
Distress and calm
Love and loathing
Courage and fear
Notice that I say “and” rather than “versus.” The reason we talk about dialectics in therapy is so you can learn how to handle these co-existing forces inside you without feeling trapped, frustrated, angry, or sad.
How Does DBT Work?
DBT has four skill-building modules:
Distress tolerance
Emotion regulation
Interpersonal effectiveness
All four modules help you cope with stress, anxiety, cravings, obsessions, conflicts, and unanticipated problems.
We may work through them in order and we may not. It’s your therapy, and I will ask you what you want to prioritize first. If you want me to make a recommendation, I’m happy to do so. Some of the goals of DBT are to equip you with coping skills, give you more control over your choices, and improve your quality of life.
One of the most common questions I’m asked about using DBT is:
“Do you use the traditional structured format when providing DBT?”
DBT is typically delivered in group format in a specific order over two six-month cycles. However, I find DBT well-suited to adaptation. That’s important to me as a therapist, because I know how important it is to you to be treated like the unique person you are. That’s why, in my practice, I adapt the DBT model for your individual needs. Because I’m working with you individually, I vary the order of the modules and exercises based on what’s useful for you at the time. I incorporate DBT lessons and materials in everything we do, but it’s a subtle integration rather than a structured program. Our sessions are practical and focused on application.
DBT may include psychoeducation, discussion, and worksheets. That’s where your personalized, private e-library comes in. The e-library is one of the concierge features of my practice, and it is provided for you at no additional cost; it’s a standard part of the care I provide.
Phone coaching is a useful component of DBT in that it reinforces skills practice when you are confronted with real-life situations in which you need to use the skills. As a concierge therapist who schedules remote sessions by phone or secure texting in addition to video, I can offer that support.
The four DBT modules include a range of specific skills, but we focus on what’s useful to you. That might include:
getting through distress without making impulsive decisions.
communicating clearly and holding boundaries.
staying present instead of getting pulled into a cyclone of reactions.
You may have had a therapist or two tell you, “I accept you where you’re at, but the purpose of therapy is working toward change.” I’m going to help you learn how to persevere with these conflicts inside you. To that end, we’ll work on both self-acceptance and acceptance of others.
I know you are doing your best, but I also know that learning new skills and behaviors will help you create a life that you will consider worth living. DBT offers a lot of acronyms to serve as touchstones for you. You may like using acryonyms, but I’m not going to push them on you if you don’t. You don’t have to memorize anything. We build these skills gradually, in ways that actually fit your life.
In session, we might:
walk through a recent situation where things escalated quickly.
identify what was happening in your body and thoughts in that moment.
break down where things sped up.
practice skills you can use the next time it happens.
troubleshoot what gets in the way of using those skills in real life.
This is where therapy becomes a place to practice, not just process.
The Benefits of DBT: How It Helps in Real Life
Your reactions can feel fast, intense. Once the flood starts, it’s hard to pull back. You might go from “I’m fine” to overwhelmed in a matter of minutes. Or find yourself saying or doing things in the moment that don’t match who you want to be afterward.
Sometimes it’s anger. Sometimes anxiety. Sometimes resentment. Sometimes it’s just too much all at once.
You’ve probably told yourself to “calm down” or “handle it better.” But when it’s happening, that’s not something you know how to do. DBT focuses on building the skills that help you handle intense moments differently while you’re in them.
Not after the fact. Not in theory. In real time. By doing this work in therapy, you’ll start to feel less like you’re at the mercy of your reactions.
This is the kind of work that helps you:
learn how to stay grounded when your emotions spike.
tolerate stress without immediately needing to escape it.
choose how to respond to conflict without escalating it instead of reacting automatically.
get through overwhelming moments without making things worse.
slow things down just enough to create space and stay present even when your emotions are strong.
We are not trying to get rid of your emotions. We’re helping you work with them without getting taken over by them.
Who Does DBT Work Best For?
DBT tends to work well if you:
feel emotions intensely and quickly.
struggle with impulsive reactions or saying things you later regret.
find it hard to stay grounded when you’re overwhelmed.
want concrete ways to handle stress and conflict.
feel like your reactions sometimes take over before you can think.
If you know what active addiction or borderline personality disorder look like from personal experience, then you know how hard it is to calm your racing thoughts, self-doubts, high-tension emotions, and resentments toward life's inequities. It’s challenging to learn how to balance opposing forces in your head and heart, and it’s challenging to master interpersonal skills when you feel like your emotions are controlling you instead of the other way around. DBT therapy validates your frustrations and helps you see how to manage that balancing act.
You don’t have to become a different person. You just need better ways to handle the moments that matter.
How DBT Fits into My Overall Approach
DBT is one of the main tools I use for emotional regulation and real-life application.
We often combine it with:
CBT to understand and shift thought patterns.
Solution-focused work to build follow-through and momentum.
Mindfulness to create space before reacting.
Positive Psychology to improve self-management.
Strength-based work to build self-esteem and self-confidence.
Twelve-Step Facilitation to prevent relapse.
The goal is to help you stay steady enough to choose what you do next, even in difficult moments.
Why I Specialize in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
I received specialized training in DBT and use it in my practice because:
The research shows how well it works for learning to live with intention (Mindfulness), learning how to feel your feelings and talk about how you feel (Emotion Regulation), learning how to live with discomfort and still be happy (Distress Tolerance), and learning how to have satisfying personal and professional relationships (Interpersonal Effectiveness).
This approach has a proven track record in my experience, having delivered significant results for hundreds of my clients.
I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact this approach has had on my clients’ peace of mind and satisfaction with life.
As a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, DBT offers innovative ways to tackle cognitive distortions, also know as limiting patterns of thinking. I’ve never met a client who didn’t need help with recognizing when they’ve limited their choices because of cognitive distortions.
Likewise, I’ve never met a client who felt like they had a firm grip on regulating their emotions or living with uncomfortable feelings. And let’s face it: Who among us hasn’t experienced workplace conflict? The DBT module on interpersonal effectiveness offer some of the best tools for improving relationships, whether they are workplace relationships, family relationships, or friendships.
Take the first step.
If you’re interested in DBT treatment and looking for a therapist who can help you one-on-one, reach out and let me know you’d like to schedule an appointment.
My Office
My Hours
12:00PM-9:00PM Seven Days a Week
Video sessions on Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays only. Phone and text-based therapy seven days a week.