dialectical behavioral therapy

It's a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that's goal is to identify and change negative thinking patterns and pushes for positive behavioral changes.

DBT may be used to treat suicidal and other self-destructive behaviors. It teaches patients skills to cope with, and change, unhealthy behaviors.

Comprehensive DBT focuses on four ways to enhance life skills: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance.

Mindfulness skills help us to become more aware of self and others and attentive to the present moment.  The goal is to non-judgmentally identify and observe your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and surroundings; describe your situation in a way that is easy for others (and yourself) to understand; and effectively participate in value-based and goal-directed behaviors.

Interpersonal Effectiveness skills help us to navigate conflict and interact assertively. The goal is to communicate clearly, let go of animosity, learn to say no, and focus on how to ask for what you need without feeling a loss of self-respect.

Emotion Regulation skills help us to recognize, label, and adjust our emotions. The goal is to feel less vulnerable, regulate any intense emotion before it takes hold of you, and become confident in your ability to control how you feel.

Distress Tolerance skills help us to feel intense emotions like anger without reacting impulsively or using self-injury or substance abuse to dampen distress. The goal is to focus on how to improve stressful situations, learn to self soothe, identify ways to distract yourself, and figure out what the pros and cons of a situation are.