Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a highly effective, evidence-based form of cognitive-behavioural therapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions and improve their relationships.
DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioural techniques for emotion regulation and reality-testing with concepts of mindfulness, distress tolerance, and acceptance. The goal of DBT is to help individuals build a life worth living by balancing acceptance and change.
Key Components of DBT:
DBT involves a combination of individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and therapist consultation teams. The therapy is structured and involves homework assignments and practice exercises to reinforce the skills learned.
DBT sessions typically last between 60 and 90 minutes. During these sessions, clients engage in a variety of exercises and discussions aimed at developing and practising DBT skills. The therapist provides support, guidance, and feedback to help the client achieve their therapeutic goals.
Steps in a DBT Session:
DBT may offer numerous benefits for individuals seeking to manage intense emotions and improve their relationships:
DBT is considered a safe and effective approach for treating a variety of mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders. It is important to work with a certified DBT therapist who has undergone specialised training to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers a structured and evidence-based approach to managing intense emotions and improving relationships. By recognising and addressing emotional challenges, individuals may achieve greater emotional well-being and personal growth. If you are considering DBT, know that you are taking a proactive step towards improving your mental health. A qualified DBT therapist can guide you through this process with expertise and compassion.
Remember, healing and growth are journeys, and seeking help is a sign of strength. DBT might be the key to unlocking a healthier and more fulfilling life.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about DBT, we have a number of DBT trained therapists who can help – give us a call on 1300 830 552 or send an email enquiry to be matched with a therapist near you.
Straight answers on what DBT helps with, whether you need a group program, learning the skills yourself, and finding a DBT-trained therapist.
DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) is a skills-based therapy built around four areas: managing overwhelming emotions, tolerating distress without making things worse, staying present, and communicating effectively in relationships. It was originally developed for people whose emotions run intensely, and it’s now widely used for emotion regulation, self-destructive patterns and relationship difficulties.
No – that’s where it began, but the skills are useful far more broadly. People use DBT for intense anger, anxiety, impulsivity and relationship conflict that escalates quickly. If your arguments tend to go from zero to a hundred, DBT’s emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness skills are directly relevant.
DBT is practical and structured. Sessions typically involve learning specific skills, practising them between sessions, and reviewing what worked. Some therapists run full DBT programs; others weave DBT skills into individual or couples therapy. We can match you to either, depending on what you need.
Yes – we have DBT-trained therapists across the country, including DBT therapy in Sydney and DBT therapists in Melbourne, and telehealth options for regional areas. We’ll match you with someone whose training fits what you’re working through.
Yes. When one or both partners experience emotions intensely, standard communication advice often fails because it assumes a calm starting point. DBT skills – especially distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness – give couples tools that work mid-conflict, not just in hindsight.
Full DBT programs traditionally run six to twelve months, but DBT-informed therapy is flexible – many people learn the core skills over a shorter series of sessions and keep using them for life. Your therapist will recommend a format once they understand your situation.
There’s growing evidence and clinical interest here. ADHD often comes with intense emotions, impulsivity and rejection sensitivity – exactly what DBT’s skills target – so while DBT doesn’t treat ADHD’s attention symptoms, many people with ADHD find the emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills genuinely useful, including in their relationships.
Yes – DBT was built for intense, hard-to-regulate emotion, and its skills are now used well beyond its original purpose, including for depression and anxiety that hasn’t responded to other approaches. If low mood or anxiety comes with emotional storms, impulsive coping or relationship fallout, DBT tends to be a strong fit.
You can learn a lot from DBT workbooks – the skills are deliberately teachable – and some people start there. Where self-guided DBT falls short is practice under real conditions: a therapist helps you apply the skills to your actual triggers, spot where you’re using them as avoidance, and troubleshoot when they don’t work. A common middle path is working through a workbook alongside individual sessions.
Classic full-program DBT combines individual therapy with a skills group, but individual DBT-informed therapy is common and effective, particularly for relationship-focused work. If a group isn’t practical or appealing, don’t let that stop you – most of our DBT-trained therapists work individually.
Easily – DBT actually grew out of CBT, so they’re siblings rather than rivals. Many therapists blend CBT’s work on thought patterns with DBT’s emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills, depending on what a session calls for. You don’t need to choose between them before you start.
This is worth asking, because it happens to everyone learning them. Skills fail in the moment for predictable reasons – the emotion was already past the point where thinking works, the skill was under-practised, or it was the wrong skill for that situation. Part of DBT is reviewing exactly these moments without judgement and adjusting. Skills that fail on Tuesday often work by the third week of practising them.
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