DBT therapy in Arlington, TX | DBT groups | DBT for teens | online therapy | 76016 | 76013

DBT Therapy

Do you ever feel like your emotions or circumstances are in charge of you? Do you want to feel more empowered, in control and confident in navigating life’s challenges? Do you wish you had the right skills to navigate hard conversation in relationships or find peace from internal worries, stresses, conflicts and urges. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) may be able to help you achieve these life victories. 

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy originated from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and originally was created to treat symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. But since it was created, DBT therapy has now been adapted to treat symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and more. The goal of DBT therapy is for you to simply create a life worth living, and isn't that what we are all striving for?

DBT therapy encourages the balance between acceptance and change; acceptance of one's unchanging life circumstances and changing what can be modified. Walking the middle path of acceptance and change, can be difficult without knowing helpful skills to do so. The incredibly powerful thing about DBT therapy is that it breaks the components of these large goals like “creating a life worth living” into a step by step set of skills and practices that empowers individuals to create the life and relationships they truly desire. 

​​At our Arlington, TX-based therapy practice, we are proud to employ DBT trained and certified therapists, offering DBT treatment to DFW, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield and surrounding area residents. Our Arlington, TX office also offers online therapy and DBT treatment for residence in the state of Texas. Our team is passionate about helping to make this evidence based, powerful therapy tool, accessible to those ready to make changes towards happier, healthier lives. 

Current DBT therapy groups offered include:

DBT Skills Group for teens: Offered through in person and online formats

DBT Skills Group for adults: Offered through in person and online formats

DBT Skills Group for young adults: Offered through in person and online formats

DBT Skills for parents: Offered through online format

+ How does DBT therapy work?

  • The DBT therapy model consists of 4 major sets of skills:
    • Distress tolerance - learning to feel strong emotions without participating or reverting to destructive behavior patterns. These skill sets will allow you to tolerate stressful situations that cannot be changed immediately.
    • Emotional regulation - recognizing emotions, and increasing one’s ability to change or shift an emotional experience. These skills focus on helping you understand emotions and have to power to change them.
    • Mindfulness- increasing awareness of self, others and connection to the present moment. Mindfulness allows you to observe the here and now, without judgment. In practicing mindfulness, you will notice yourself becoming more aware of the present moment.
    • Interpersonal effectiveness- developing the skills to navigate relationships of all kinds. This set consists of communication skills in order for you to continue the practice of healthy communication.
  • DBT therapy offers helpful acronyms within each skill set, so it is easier to remember the coping skills you learned within the session, to use in your everyday life. Some of these acronyms consist of ACCEPTS, PLEASE, DEAR MAN, THINK, FAST, and GIVE.

+ What types of mental health diagnosis is DBT therapy most effective for?

+ Does DBT therapy have to be completed in a group format?

  • DBT therapy traditionally consists of group therapy and weekly individual therapy, but the skills and practices of DBT can be modified and incorporated into individual therapy sessions or group formats. Both can be effective ways to learn their valuable skill sets.

+ How do DBT therapy groups work?

  • The DBT group therapy consists of skills building exercises that participants complete together to work towards their goals of health and wellness. The idea is that you are able to learn and practice the skills along with peers, to then return to the next session and report the effectiveness of the skill. The four principles of DBT skills are Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. During these group therapy sessions, you will get a chance to learn and rehearse skills alongside peers. There typically is some homework as our brains need practice and repetition when learning new things.

+ What age groups are most likely to benefit from DBT therapy?

  • DBT therapy is an evidence based model for children, teens, adolescents and adults. When DBT therapy is a part of teen and child therapy, the skills are modified to be developmentally appropriate and applicable to their stage of life and needs. And do not worry, the DBT therapy skill building process can be fun! Our therapists work to keep all ages engaged in the DBT therapy process with fun and dynamic ways to learn important skills.

+ Do I have to be in person to be able to travel to Arlington, TX to participate in or receive DBT therapy?

  • We do have options for online therapy that can include DBT therapy. Online DBT groups are available at different time periods for Texas residents as there is appropriate interest and client needs arise. If you are interested in participating in DBT therapy but have some challenges to participate in, contact us so that we can discuss options that may be most appropriate for you.

Do you think you could benefit from taking the time to learn more about managing your emotional health, feeling more empowered in your life and building the capacity to communicate and navigate relationships with confidence? DBT therapy may be a great place to start. Contact us or check out our group page to  learn more about current groups that are being offered. Or if you are interested in DBT therapy in the form of individual therapy, meet our team of therapists or schedule your first appointment.