Summary: DBT focuses on four core skill areas. This blog post provides information on DBT skills, how (and who) they help, and examples of how to use them.
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a popular, non-invasive, and highly evidence-based treatment. It’s a great option for people who want to learn new skills related to managing emotions and reactions, communicating well with others, getting through tough times, and being present. Pacific Anxiety Group is a psychologist-led practice dedicated to providing cutting-edge, science-backed care. DBT is one of the types of therapy we offer. Learning about how skills help in DBT can help you identify whether it’s a type of therapy that could benefit you.
How Skills in DBT Help – Four Core Skill Areas
DBT skills are a great addition to any person’s toolkit. To understand how DBT skills may help you, it can be valuable to learn about the four core skill areas providers focus on during sessions. These skills support each other. They include interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and mindfulness.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness skills in DBT help people balance caring for their relationships and themselves, communicate effectively, and get their needs met. They are often taught through acronyms such as DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST.
Distress Tolerance
Distress tolerance skills in DBT help you manage difficult, uncomfortable, or painful feelings without reacting in potentially maladaptive ways. Distress tolerance skills help you get through tough or intense emotions and situations until you can think clearly. In DBT sessions, you might learn acronyms like“TIPP” (temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and paired muscle relaxation) for this purpose. These are all examples of skills you might use to better manage or tolerate distress.
Emotion Regulation
Emotion regulation is the ability to observe, evaluate, and cope with emotions in a healthy way. A lot of the time, providers using DBT will talk about how to reduce vulnerability to emotional dysregulation. They might use an acronym called “PLEASE” (treat physical illness, eat a balanced diet, avoid altering drugs, sleep enough, exercise) to help people remember how to set themselves up for success. When our needs are met, and we avoid things that can make symptoms worse, like lack of sleep, we’re much more likely to be regulated or address dysregulation more efficiently. DBT also focuses on understanding, naming, and learning skills to manage your emotions.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a great example of how the four core skill areas in DBT can work together. First, let’s define what it is. Mindfulness means being fully present and being able to pay attention to what’s going on in the moment, purposefully and without judgment. For example, you might notice “I feel angry” without acting on it or telling yourself that you don’t “deserve” to feel that emotion for the reason you’re feeling it. This is something you might cover and practice in DBT. Grounding exercises are another example of how to apply mindfulness, and they are often taught in DBT.
Who is DBT For?
If you’re wondering how skills help in DBT work, you might want to know whether it’s the right fit for you. DBT was developed to treat borderline personality disorder. However, it is now used for a wide range of concerns. DBT is often helpful for:
- People who need help regulating their emotions and reactions
- People who have strong feelings they do not know how to cope with
- People who need help with interpersonal effectiveness
- People with eating disorders
- People with anxiety disorders
- People with substance use disorders
- People with post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma symptoms
- People with mood disorders, like depression
- People who struggle with impulsivity
Our Treatment Approach recognizes that what works for one person might not work for another. We offer DBT and other treatments, which can be combined or used separately. For example, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotion-focused therapy (EFT), and exposure therapy. The psychologists at Pacific Anxiety Group take a highly personalized and collaborative approach. We’ll help you create an individualized care plan for therapy, focused on your unique goals and needs.
How Skills in DBT are Taught
Dialectical behavior therapy can take place in a group therapy setting or individual sessions. Our General Psychotherapy Clinic provides individual therapy for people navigating diverse concerns, ranging from mental health conditions to life transitions, parenting, relationship issues, and help with communication and interpersonal effectiveness. We also offer Group Therapy, which can be used on its own or in addition to individual therapy sessions. DBT skills are often very helpful for people in Couples Therapy, too.
Find a Therapist in our Bay Area Locations and via Telehealth
Looking for DBT near you? Whether you need a couples therapist, individual therapist, child and adolescent psychologist, anxiety specialist, or are interested in group therapy, Pacific Anxiety Group can help. We have locations in:
- Los Altos
- San Franciso
- Belmont
- Menlo Park
Telehealth appointments are also available. You can get online therapy through Pacific Anxiety Group no matter where you live in California. Sessions are secure and convenient. They expand access to high-quality therapy for people statewide.
Contact Pacific Anxiety Group to Learn More About How Skills Help: DBT and Other Evidence-Based Approaches
Pacific Anxiety Group is a top-rated psychotherapy practice in the Bay Area. We work with adults, kids, teens, and couples from all walks of life. If you have questions about how DBT skills can help you, whether our practice is a good fit for your needs, or anything else our team can help with, call us at (650) 762-8352 or contact us online. You can also Get Started with Pacific Anxiety Group by scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation or by completing a short questionnaire – whichever works best for you.
FAQs
What is GIVE in DBT?
“GIVE” is an acronym used in DBT that helps people remember strategies to keep relationships positive. It stands for:
- Gentle: Be polite and avoid attacks, finger-pointing, harsh sarcasm, or threats
- Interested: Listen actively and show genuine interest in what the other person says
- Validate: Acknowledge the person’s feelings, desires, and thoughts
- Easy Manner: Maintain a calm demeanor and tone of voice
This is a great DBT skill to use in everyday interactions with the people in your life.
What is DEAR MAN in DBT?
DEAR MAN is another interpersonal effectiveness skill in DBT. It stands for:
Describe (the facts of the situation)
Express (your feelings using “I” statements)
Assert (your needs)
Reinforce (the benefits of what you are asking for)
Mindful (remain mindful when speaking)
Appear confident (be calm, yet firm – don’t over-explain)
Negotiate (be willing to negotiate reasonably if needed)
DEAR MAN is a helpful DBT skill for when you need to assert a boundary or ask for what you want.
What is STOP in DBT?
“STOP” is another distress tolerance skill or strategy used in DBT. It stands for Stop, Take a step back, Observe, and Proceed mindfully. This one helps you pause and think before reacting or responding.
What is the FAST skill in DBT?
FAST stands for “Fair, (no) Apologies, Stick to values, (be) Truthful.”
Resources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6007584/