If you are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone. According to the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), “more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness.”[1]
Depending on what mental health condition you are struggling with, you might deal with intense emotions that lead to troubling behaviors. These symptoms can occur when you have borderline personality disorder (BPD), PTSD, self-harm, or suicidal behavior, substance use disorders, eating disorders, depression, or anxiety.
Thankfully, an evidence-based treatment can manage the symptoms of any of these conditions. It is referred to as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Licensed mental health professionals can guide you through the steps to participate in this therapy.
You’ll learn various DBT skills, including emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, and distress tolerance. The skills training you participate in will help you manage negative emotions and reframe them before they turn into troubling behavior.
If you are looking for a DBT therapist in Florida, you’ve come to the right place. At Agape Behavioral Center, we provide comprehensive DBT treatment under the care of highly qualified mental health professionals. Whether you have borderline personality disorder or struggle with self-harming behaviors, we can help you achieve long-term recovery.
In this article, you will learn:
- What is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?
- How does DBT work?
- Where can you find a DBT therapist in Fort Pierce, Florida?
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of evidence-based psychotherapy that focuses on helping people manage their emotional dysregulation. It was originally designed to help women recover from borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation. However, over the years, experts have found that it is effective for a wide range of conditions.
Some of the conditions DBT works to treat include:[2]
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Self-harm and suicidal ideation
- Substance use disorders (SUDs)
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety
- Depression
DBT involves skills training, with a focus on developing emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal skills. By learning these DBT skills, you will be able to control intense emotions, prevent negative emotions from turning into maladaptive behavior, communicate effectively, and stay in the present moment.
Depending on your needs, DBT usually involves participating in a weekly DBT group where you’ll learn skills with your peers. Your therapist might also require you to participate in weekly individual therapy sessions to ensure you have a safe space to talk about sensitive topics.
Agape Behavioral Center accepts many private insurance plans
Is DBT Effective: How Does DBT Skills Training Help You Recover?
Qualified DBT therapists in Fort Pierce can help guide you through the skills training to ensure you learn how to manage negative emotions and maladaptive behaviors. If you are interested in participating in DBT, you might be wondering how it helps you recover.
DBT therapy focuses on 4 main skills, which include:
Emotional Regulation
You might be used to suppressing negative emotions, which eventually leads to a huge blow-up or outburst. In other words, stuffing your feelings will only lead to a bigger problem in the future. That is why one of the main teachings in DBT is emotional regulation.
Emotional regulation skills help you address emotional vulnerability and manage your reactions healthily. You’ll also learn specific techniques or healthy coping mechanisms that make it easier for you to process your emotions instead of allowing them to fester.
Distress Tolerance
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) focuses on a skill called distress tolerance. In life, you will often be faced with situations that you cannot control. Sometimes these situations are scary, frightening, stressful, or distressing.
Distress tolerance teaches you how to respond to a crisis by managing your response. You’ll learn coping mechanisms that make it easier for you to control your emotional and physical reactions during a distressing situation.
Core Mindfulness
Another skill that dialectical behavior therapy teaches is mindfulness. To explain, mindfulness is a state of mind where you remain in the present moment and pay attention to your emotions. Identifying and accepting your emotions as they come will help you learn how to regulate them more effectively.
Mindfulness can also help you develop a skill called radical acceptance. This means that you accept things as they are, even if they are causing you distress. Radical acceptance makes coping with a crisis easier over time, allowing you to accept your situation and the emotions that arise.
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
The fourth skill in dialectical behavior therapy is interpersonal effectiveness. It is common for people with mental health conditions like borderline personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder to have unstable relationships. This often stems from an inability to properly convey your emotions to your loved ones.
When you are learning this skill, you will become aware of how your emotions and behaviors affect the relationships in your life. Doing this will make it easier for you to have healthy connections with others, instead of unstable or chaotic relationships.
How to Find DBT Therapy in Florida
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a highly beneficial way to recover from a wide range of mental health conditions. If you have a hard time managing emotions, this therapy might be right for you. But how can you find a DBT therapist in Florida?
If you are looking for a DBT therapist, you’ve come to the right place. At Agape Behavioral Center, our DBT therapists are highly skilled and experienced in treating conditions like BPD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, addiction, and more. No matter your reasoning for needing dialectical behavior therapy, we can help you begin the process of healing.
In addition to offering dialectical behavior therapy groups, we also emphasize the importance of individual therapy. During one-on-one counseling, you can work through painful emotions, begin practicing skills you’ve learned in group therapy, develop healthy ways to manage stress, and gain control over the symptoms that have made it difficult to manage daily life.
At Agape Behavioral Center, we offer an inpatient or residential mental health treatment center in the state of Florida. This means you’ll live at our facility while you engage in DBT groups, weekly individual sessions, and other services like medication management. Additionally, we accept insurance, which means there is a good chance that our program will be covered by your health plan.
Get Connected to a DBT Therapist Near You
If you are looking for dialectical behavior therapy in Florida, you’ve come to the right place. At Agape Behavioral Center, we offer DBT group sessions, individual therapy, and medication management for mental health and co-occurring substance abuse issues.
Contact us today for more information on how our mental health professionals and behavioral techs can help you recover using DBT skills.
References:
- The National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH): Mental Illness
- Harvard Health: Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
