What Is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to help individuals who experience intense emotions, suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviors, or long-standing patterns that are difficult to change.
While DBT was created to address life-threatening behaviors, it has since been shown to be effective for a broad range of emotional, behavioral, and relational difficulties. These may include emotion dysregulation, impulsive or risky behaviors, chronic anxiety or depression, trauma-related symptoms, and persistent conflict in relationships.
DBT is often recommended for individuals who experience high emotional sensitivity or behavioral patterns that interfere with their quality of life. It provides a structured approach to building new behaviors, reducing ineffective coping, and increasing the capacity to manage distress, navigate relationships, and regulate emotions—all in service of creating a life worth living.
At its core, DBT is a structured, skills-based, and collaborative approach. It integrates acceptance and change strategies to help people move toward lives that are more stable, flexible, and aligned with their goals and values.
Why Is It Called Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
People often ask what “DBT” stands for and what the name means. The answer is built into the three parts of the name itself:
- Dialectical refers to the idea that two seemingly opposite things can both be true at the same time. In DBT, this is most clearly evident in the balance between acceptance and change. For example, someone might say, “I’m doing the best I can,” and also, “I need to do better and try harder.” These statements may sound contradictory, but both can be valid. Learning to hold multiple truths is a core part of DBT—it helps reduce black-and-white thinking, increase flexibility, and move toward more effective responses. Dialectical thinking is woven throughout every part of treatment, helping to open the door to lasting change.
- Behavior reflects DBT’s focus on identifying specific patterns—especially behaviors that create suffering or hinder your goals—and building new, more effective responses. Therapy targets behaviors directly, examining what leads up to them, what maintains them, and how they can be altered in ways that support a life worth living.
- Therapy means this isn’t just a set of skills or a self-help model. DBT is a comprehensive treatment that includes individual therapy, skills training, and in-the-moment support. It provides structure and accountability while honoring your values, goals, and lived experience.
Each part of the name reflects DBT’s integrated approach: a treatment that is structured, compassionate, and grounded in both practical tools and real-life applications.
What is DBT Designed For?
DBT is a structured therapy approach developed to help people whose lives are affected by patterns of emotional, behavioral, or interpersonal dysregulation. It was created for individuals experiencing chronic suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviors and has since been adapted for a broader range of challenges involving emotion dysregulation and difficulty with behavioral control.
DBT targets five core areas of dysregulation:
- Emotion Dysregulation – when emotions feel intense, overwhelming, or unpredictable
- Behavior Dysregulation – impulsive actions or patterns that lead to harm or crisis
- Interpersonal Dysregulation – unstable relationships, sensitivity to rejection, or frequent conflict
- Self-Dysregulation – chronic emptiness, identity confusion, or a negative sense of self
- Cognitive Dysregulation – intrusive thoughts, dissociation, or difficulty thinking clearly under stress
People who benefit from DBT often describe feeling out of control emotionally, acting in ways they later regret, or repeating patterns that traditional therapy hasn’t been able to shift. DBT is especially helpful when there is a need for more structure, support, and actionable tools within treatment.
Although DBT is often associated with the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it is effective for a range of difficulties, including chronic depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other conditions involving emotional and behavioral dysregulation. It’s often recommended when previous therapy hasn’t gone far enough, or when the same painful patterns keep showing up.
Whether the challenges are long-term or newly overwhelming, DBT offers a structured path forward—while honoring where you are right now and helping you build your life worth living.
What Does Comprehensive DBT Therapy Include?
As an experienced DBT therapist, I provide Comprehensive DBT using the complete model developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. This approach includes four main parts that all work together to support real change. It’s structured, yes—but it’s also flexible, collaborative, and built around what works for you.
The whole treatment model includes the following:
- Individual DBT Therapy Sessions
- DBT Skills Training
- Phone Coaching
- DBT Consultation Team
These components are designed to work together, helping you reduce problem behaviors, build new skills, and create a more stable and meaningful life. Some clients participate in all parts of treatment from the start. Others begin with individual therapy and add additional components as needed. We’ll decide together what’s most appropriate based on your needs, goals, and stage of treatment.
Individual DBT Therapy Sessions
DBT individual therapy sessions are structured, collaborative, and focused on the most relevant aspects of your day-to-day life. Each week, we work together to identify the behaviors, emotional patterns, or situations that are getting in the way of your goals. What happens in session depends on what’s happening in your life and what stage of treatment you’re in.
A typical DBT individual session with Integrative Path Therapy includes identifying target behaviors, reviewing recent situations where those behaviors occurred, and doing a chain analysis to understand what led up to the behavior, what maintained it, and what the consequences were. We look at missing skills, environmental factors, vulnerabilities, and reinforcement patterns. You’ll learn how to problem-solve effectively and strengthen new, skillful responses. Each session is focused on what’s happening in your life and what will help you move toward your goals.
Most clients who engage in Comprehensive DBT commit to at least one full year of treatment. In DBT, we work in stages, and each stage has a specific purpose:
- Pre-treatment is where we begin. In this phase, we get to know your history, identify your life-worth living goals, clarify what’s getting in the way, and develop a collaborative treatment plan. Together, we outline which behaviors need to decrease and which ones need to increase to move toward meaningful change. We identify which behaviors to decrease and which to increase so that you can begin moving toward meaningful change.
- Stage 1 focuses on gaining control over life-threatening behaviors, therapy-interfering behaviors, and behaviors that interfere with quality of life. This is the most intensive stage and lays the foundation for long-term improvement.
- Stage 2 addresses the emotional pain and quiet desperation that can remain even after harmful behaviors are reduced. We focus on trauma, invalidation, or unresolved emotional experiences that may be keeping you stuck.
- Stage 3 is about building your life worth living—focusing on goals, relationships, emotional balance, and personal values.
- Stage 4, when pursued, involves cultivating deeper meaning through connection, joy, or spiritual growth.
Not everyone moves through all four stages, and the path is tailored to each person. The structure of DBT helps us stay focused on what matters most, while giving you the tools to build and sustain meaningful change.
DBT Skills Training
DBT Skills Training is one of the core components of Comprehensive DBT. In these sessions, you’ll learn tools to help you manage emotions, handle stress, improve relationships, and stay present. These skills are practical, learnable, and designed to help you build a life that feels more balanced and manageable.
Skills are taught across four main areas:
- Mindfulness – Learn to stay grounded in the present moment so you can respond with more awareness and less reactivity.
- Distress Tolerance – Tools to help you get through crisis moments without making things worse.
- Emotion Regulation – Understand your emotions and respond to them in ways that support long-term well-being.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness – Strengthen communication, set boundaries, and build relationships without losing your sense of self.
DBT skills groups are offered in two formats:
🖥️ Online, open to adults in California, Nevada, and Oregon
🏢 In-person, currently available in Las Vegas, NV only
I also offer individual skills sessions if a group isn’t the right fit. These are usually held at a different time than your weekly therapy sessions.
Phone Coaching
Phone coaching is a core part of Comprehensive DBT. It provides brief, in-the-moment support to help you apply skills when you need them most. This is not therapy over the phone—it’s focused coaching to help you stay skillful, reduce problem behaviors, and get through difficult moments more effectively.
Coaching calls are short, goal-directed, and designed to help you use what you’ve learned in therapy when it counts—whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure what skill to use next. It bridges the gap between sessions and helps you build real-life mastery of the tools you’re learning.
DBT Consultation Team
As part of my commitment to providing high-quality, model-adherent DBT, I actively participate in a structured DBT consultation team. This team functions as a therapist support system—helping me stay accountable, think dialectically, and continue growing in the work.
Just as DBT clients benefit from structure, support, and feedback, DBT therapists also benefit from these elements. Consultation teams are an integral part of the DBT model and are essential for maintaining treatment fidelity. Being part of a consultation team enables me to remain grounded in evidence-based practice while continually learning and improving.
DBT and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized diagnoses in the mental health world. It describes a pattern of intense emotions, unstable relationships, impulsive behaviors, identity confusion, and fear of abandonment—and it doesn’t mean you’re broken, manipulative, or “too much.” Unfortunately, many people hear those messages—directly or indirectly—when they receive the diagnosis.
The stigma surrounding BPD is deeply rooted in our society’s discomfort with emotional intensity and relational vulnerability. These patterns can be confusing for both those experiencing them and those around them. And when people don’t understand what’s happening, it’s easy for misinformation, shame, or hopelessness to take over.
DBT is based on the biosocial theory, which explains that people with BPD often have a biological sensitivity to emotions and have grown up in environments—whether chaotic, invalidating, or simply mismatched—that didn’t teach them how to manage those emotions effectively. It’s not your fault that these patterns developed, and at the same time, taking responsibility for your behaviors is part of the path forward.
DBT was created to treat exactly this kind of suffering—emotion dysregulation, self-harming behaviors, intense attachment needs, and an unstable sense of self. The model is grounded in respect, compassion, accountability, and a commitment to change. It doesn’t view BPD as a fixed identity or a life sentence—it views it as a set of patterns that can be understood and transformed.
Many people are told that BPD is not curable. The truth is that if the symptoms that led to the diagnosis are no longer present, the person no longer meets the criteria for BPD. That doesn’t mean healing is instant or easy—it does mean recovery is real.
If you’ve been diagnosed with BPD—or wonder if it fits—please know this: your experiences make sense, even if they’ve been painful. Change is possible when you have a clear structure, the necessary skills, and a tailored plan that fits. DBT offers a clear path toward greater emotional stability, stronger relationships, and a life that feels worth living.
What Makes DBT Challenging and Worth it
DBT is a highly structured, evidence-based treatment that helps people make meaningful, lasting changes in their lives. And, like any treatment, it comes with challenges. Some clients ask, “What are the downsides of DBT therapy?”
DBT requires commitment. The treatment is structured on purpose, and that structure may feel intense or overwhelming at times, especially in the beginning. Sessions are focused. There’s homework. You’ll be asked to track behaviors, practice skills outside of sessions, and actively participate in your change process.
For some, that level of structure is uncomfortable. And for many, it becomes one of the most empowering parts of the therapy. The very things that initially feel challenging—accountability, clarity, and active skill use—are the same things that create momentum and drive change.
DBT isn’t about perfection. It’s about building a life worth living, one step at a time. If you’re ready to do the work, this treatment can help you change long-standing patterns and move toward a life that feels more stable, connected, and intentional.
Change is Within Reach — Begin A DBT Program in Las Vegas, NV, Torrance, CA, or Oregon
DBT is a powerful treatment, and it works best when it’s the right match. If you’re navigating intense emotions, behavioral patterns that feel hard to change, or relationship struggles that keep repeating, DBT might be a fit.
Through Integrative Path Therapy (formerly DBT Center of South Bay), I provide full-model DBT for adults in California, Nevada, and Oregon. In-person sessions are available on:
- Mondays and Thursdays in Las Vegas, NV
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Torrance, CA
I also offer online therapy across all three states, making it easier to access consistent care even with a busy schedule.
I don’t work directly with insurance, but I’m happy to provide a superbill if you’d like to submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. We can discuss your goals and determine whether DBT is a suitable fit.
- Take your first step toward healing. Reach out to me through my website.
- Start meeting with a trained DBT therapist who understands what you’re dealing with.
- Find hope and motivation to learn and grow.
Other Services Integrative Path Therapy Offers In Nevada & California
At Integrative Path Healing (formerly DBT Center of South Bay), we provide more than DBT therapy. We offer various other services to support adults who are navigating emotion dysregulation and complex life transitions. Whether you’re interested in DBT therapy or you’re seeking another type of support, we can explore your unique therapeutic path together.
Alongside comprehensive DBT therapy, we also offer trauma therapy and DBT skills training group sessions to families, couples, and individuals searching for healing. I also provide assistance to those struggling with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or dissociation. Additionally, I’m pleased to offer therapist consultations and DBT training for clinicians who want to broaden their skillset.
I work exclusively with adults and see clients in person in Las Vegas, NV, and Torrance, CA. I also provide online sessions across Nevada, California, and Oregon.
You don’t have to overcome life’s obstacles on your own. Let’s explore your path toward healing and wellness together.
FAQ’s Related to DBT Therapy
Why Do Therapists Recommend DBT?
Therapists recommend Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) because it offers practical, research-backed tools for managing intense emotions, navigating relationships, and building a life worth living. DBT is especially helpful for people who feel like their emotions take over, who struggle with black-and-white thinking, or who find themselves stuck in painful patterns, despite their best efforts to change.
Originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT has since been adapted for a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, eating disorders, and substance use. Therapists often recommend DBT when someone needs more than just insight—they need concrete skills to get through the day, improve their relationships, and reduce suffering.
What makes DBT unique is its balance between acceptance and change. Therapists using DBT aren’t just helping clients understand their problems—they’re helping them learn how to manage them. Whether it’s learning to regulate emotions, communicate more effectively, or tolerate distress without making things worse, DBT gives clients the skills to handle life in a new way.
In short, therapists recommend DBT because it works—and because it gives people hope. Many clients who have tried other therapies without much success find that DBT offers a more structured, supportive, and empowering approach.
Who Benefits Most from DBT?
DBT was originally created to support people who feel emotions more intensely than others and struggle to manage those emotions in ways that feel effective. It was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to help people who were emotionally dysregulated and chronically suicidal—individuals who often hadn’t found relief in other forms of therapy. Over time, research revealed that many of these individuals also met criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is why DBT has become known as a leading treatment for BPD.
Still, DBT helps far more people than one diagnosis.
You may benefit from DBT if you:
- Experience intense mood swings or emotional reactions that feel hard to control
- Often feel overwhelmed by your emotions and don’t know what to do with them
- Find yourself acting impulsively or doing things that cause harm (like self-harm, substance use, binge eating, or lashing out)
- Struggle in your relationships—feeling misunderstood, afraid of abandonment, or stuck in painful cycles with others
- Have tried other types of therapy but still feel stuck, like insight alone hasn’t been enough to create change
- Feel hopeless, chronically empty, or unsure of who you are
- Have experienced trauma and have difficulty regulating emotions or feeling safe in the world
DBT is also highly effective for people living with chronic suicidality, self-harming behaviors, emotion dysregulation, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, and substance use.
One of the strengths of DBT is that it doesn’t assume you’re broken—it assumes you’ve been doing the best you can with the tools you’ve had. If you’re ready to learn new tools that actually work in real life—especially when things feel overwhelming—DBT can help you build a more stable, connected, and intentional life.
What Disorders Can Be Treated with DBT?
Although DBT was first developed to treat individuals who were chronically suicidal and emotionally dysregulated, research has since shown its effectiveness across a wide range of mental health concerns. DBT is now considered an evidence-based treatment for several clinical disorders and is used widely for both individual and group therapy.
DBT can be an effective treatment for:
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – DBT remains the gold standard treatment for BPD, helping reduce suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and unstable relationships.
- Depression – Particularly when accompanied by emotion dysregulation, hopelessness, or interpersonal difficulties.
- Anxiety Disorders – Including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorder, especially when intense emotional responses interfere with daily life.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – DBT can help trauma survivors regain emotional stability and manage intense reactions, often in combination with trauma-focused treatments.
- Substance Use Disorders – DBT has been adapted to help individuals reduce substance use while increasing emotional and behavioral regulation.
- Eating Disorders – Particularly binge eating and bulimia, where impulsivity and emotion-driven behavior play a key role.
- Self-Harming Behaviors – DBT helps reduce urges and increase alternative coping skills.
- Bipolar Disorder – DBT skills can support mood stabilization, impulse control, and improved relationships.
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – DBT helps with emotional sensitivity, impulsivity, and difficulty staying focused or organized. Many adults with ADHD benefit from DBT’s structured approach to mindfulness, emotion regulation, and behavior change.
Even when a person doesn’t meet criteria for a specific diagnosis, DBT may still be the right approach, especially if they struggle with intense emotions, chaotic relationships, impulsive behaviors, or feelings of emptiness. At its core, DBT is about learning how to navigate life with more balance, stability, and skill.
How Long Does DBT Typically Last?
DBT is designed as a comprehensive treatment, not a quick fix. On average, Dialectical Behavior Therapy lasts about one year, depending on your needs and goals. Full DBT includes weekly individual therapy, weekly skills group, phone coaching as needed, and a therapist consultation team to support fidelity to the model.
Clients are encouraged to complete all four DBT skills modules at least once:
- Mindfulness
- Emotion Regulation
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
- Distress Tolerance
Each round of modules takes approximately six months, and many clients benefit from repeating the skills a second time as they begin to apply them more effectively in daily life. For clients working on high-risk behaviors like chronic suicidality or self-harm, treatment often continues for a full year or more to support long-term change and stability.
That said, how long DBT lasts depends on you. Some people complete the program in about a year, while others stay longer to strengthen their skills and work toward deeper goals. Your therapist will work with you to assess progress, revisit goals, and make sure the structure of DBT continues to support your needs.
