How We Treat
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT) PROVIDES TOOLS THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE BUILD LIVES WORTH LIVING and has shown to significantly decrease intense suffering across numerous psychological ailments. People report significant improvement in many areas, including esteem, mastery, enjoyment, purpose, relationships, emotional regulation and distress tolerance. The primary goal of DBT is to increase resilience to life’s stressors, whether they be from the past, or present, and properly arm you to cope with what ever comes in the future. People who have successfully incorporated DBT into their daily repertoire report feeling extraordinarily capable of coping with anything that may come their way and that despite pain (past, present and future), their life has worth and meaning.
ADULT DBT
Intensively trained through Behavioral Tech, LLC, Marsha Linehan’s training institute, associates at BHBA provide the most up to date, evidence-based and effective DBT available. Associates strive for adherence to the model, which gives you the best chance of reaching your therapy goals. This model can be adapted for many problems and your therapist will tailor treatments specific to your needs. Treatment may include skills class and individual and phone skills coaching.
ADOLESCENT AND FAMILY DBT
DBT has shown to increase adaptive behaviors, strengthen core values and increase chances of success in pre-teens and adolescents. It can also help to improve relations within families. Associates at BHBA incorporate the model for adolescents and pre-teens and have advanced training with the developers, Alec Miller, Psy.D. and Jill Rathus, Ph.D. After an initial intake, a treatment recommendation is provided based on the clients unique needs. This may include a DBT skills class, an individual DBT therapist and separate parent coaching sessions (see Programs for more information on parent coaching).
CHILDREN DBT
BHBA offers DBT-C therapy to children and help to their primary caregivers. Associates at BHBA use behavioral strategies to increase distress tolerance in children with behavioral challenges. Our training in Parent Management Training (PMT) allows us to provide gold standard parent coaching skills for parents to bring out the best in parents and kids alike!
COUPLES DBT
BHBA offers behavioral goal oriented couples therapy. Associates at BHBA will work to collaboratively set therapy goals and consistently work towards achieving them. Behavioral and DBT skills have shown to increase interpersonal effectiveness, decrease conflict, change maladaptive communication patterns and foster emotional intimacy. Associates at BHBA incorporate the work of Alan Fruzzetti, Ph.D. and Perry Hoffman, Ph.D. when treating families and couples. See this website for more information.
RADICALLY OPEN DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY
Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT) is a new evidence-based treatment for disorders of overcontrol (too much self control) created by Dr. Thomas Lynch.
Dr. Lynch hypothesized that the three pillars of psychological well-being include openness and receptivity, flexible control, and social connectedness. Too much self-control is theorized to decrease the ability to connect, show vulnerability, and form close relationships.
RO-DBT is structured to include a skills group (referred to as your tribe!) that meets for approximately 30 weeks in combination with individual, weekly psychotherapy. The five themes targeted through skills training include:
Inhibited and disingenuous emotional expression
Hyper-detailed focused and overly cautious behavior
Rigid and rule-governed behavior
Aloof and distant style of relating
High social comparison and envy/bitterness
RO-DBT targets Social Signaling as the primary mechanism for change, which is supported by research and theorists who utilize neuroregulatory theory as it is linked to emotional expression and the impact this has on social connection; when an internal emotional expression does not match outward appearances, the environment may notice this mismatch and experience the individual as untrustworthy or disingenuous (Boone & Buck, 2003; English & John, 2013; Kernis & Goldman, 2006).
Therapists and clients will work collaboratively to activate the safety-system through a process of proprioception, therefore increasing the likelihood of forming intimate bonds and connection (Lynch et. al).
You can read more about RO-DBT facts at ABCT Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.