Intro to DBT

Find out if DBT is right for you.

If you are new to DBT, let me tell you a little about it. There are 4 segments.

Mindfulness helps you to stay present and appreciate everything in this moment. This is the basis of everything else. If you are not able to stay mindful, you will have limited success with the rest of the skills, so this comes first.

Distress Tolerance helps you to settle yourself down when you are in crisis. It can also help you to avoid getting in crisis.

Emotional Regulation helps you to deal with overwhelming emotions. It's a step down from crisis. So this is great for sensitive people or dealing with sensitive areas. It keeps you here and now so that you can deal with things rather than getting spun up and then never resolving the problem or making the problem bigger.

Interpersonal Effectiveness is about learning skills that will help you to be a better partner, communicator, family member, peer, or any other relationship. It helps you to maintain better boundaries, ask for what you want, and be an equal partner rather than moving from the master role to the servant role.

The pre-requisite for all these segments is this free orientation or Intro class. Thereafter there is a $25 per class fee, so if the class is 3 weeks long, the fee is $75. If the class is 8 weeks long, the fee is $200.

These skills were developed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD). They are very effective for that. I also highly recommend them or anyone who has a family member or spouse with this condition. But, you don't have to suffer from BPD to benefit. I think it's one of the greatest therapeutic tools ever invented and it should be taught in schools at age 8, 12, and 17 to prepare kids for life. As you grow and mature, the application of the skills change with you, so it's a lifelong learning type of tool that anyone can benefit from. If you are anxious, depressed, just going through a hard time, had a traumatic childhood, or just want to be the best you can be, these are great skills to have.

The group will provide you with support, accountability, and lots of opportunities for practicing your skills. It is a homework intensive class so if you come regularly and do your part, you will grow. I guarantee it.

The intro class covers the following information to prepare you for your first class:
* What is DBT?
* How can DBT help me?
* Specific goals of skills training
* Guidelines for participation
* Skills training assumptions
* Why do I need help?
* Chain analysis
* Pros and Cons
* Accountability (diary card)
* Check-in (How am I doing? How do I know?)

In addition, the class will introduce you to the learning platform so that the first day of class, we can focus on learning rather than figuring out the system. Hope to see you there!