At times, you may feel out of control of your own life. Intense emotions and painful life circumstances can make you feel out of control. And what do humans do when a loss of control takes place? We do everything we can to take it back.
For many who self-harm, it’s used as a means to regain control in a situation where you feel powerless. And just stopping is not as easy as it sounds. Finding ways to avoid self-harming is a process, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help.
Each individual who uses self-harm has their own reasoning for it. However, there are a few common reasons why people engage in this behavior. Some people use self-harm as a way to distract themselves from other pain. Additionally, others self-harm in order to relieve tension. And for some, when powerful emotions build up internally and become too strong to bear, self-harm provides a physical release. Another reason for self-harm is to escape numbness. When you feel numb, feeling something often feels better than nothing.
There are many, many reasons why you may be injuring yourself. And whatever your reason is, it is valid. At times, the circumstances of life are excruciatingly painful. But, our therapists want more for you. We don’t want you to hide from your emotions or your loved ones any longer. Most importantly, we want you to find other methods to self-soothe and feel control in your life.
Using self-harm as a way to cope is a temporary solution. It’s a distraction from facing deeper internal wounds. And while you can run from these deep, complex emotions for some time, you can’t escape them forever.
Our DBT therapists have worked with individuals like you for decades. They’ve helped them look internally and evaluate why they engage in self-injury. And above all, they have helped others find healthy solutions to managing unbearable emotional pain.
Our team specializes in providing a comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program. DBT is unique in that it has three fundamental parts that make it so effective. These components include individual psychotherapy sessions and phone coaching with a DBT therapist along with a DBT skills group. The well-rounded support that these three elements provide makes all the difference in helping you find healthy behaviors for dealing with life’s challenges.
You will meet with your individual therapist weekly for psychotherapy sessions. This may sound intimidating at first, and we get that. Talking about the depths of your life with a therapist, who at the beginning of treatment is essentially a stranger, can be difficult. And it’s likely that you’ve never shared about your self-harm behaviors before.
However, all of our therapists have experience working with others who have used self-harm to cope. So, your therapist will understand that it may take you some time to get comfortable with them and open up. And part of their role in your treatment is to create a space where you feel safe to share challenging feelings and experiences.
In psychotherapy sessions, you and your DBT therapist will work together to analyze the thoughts and beliefs that have led you to self-harm. Understanding why you engage in these behaviors is part of helping you prepare to swap them with healthier ones.
One of the main focuses of DBT is to integrate new skills into your life to replace the old. You will learn these skills, along with specific behaviors to engage in each skill, in DBT skills group. During group sessions, there will be other therapists and clients in the space, which can help you feel supported and validated. The four skills that group sessions will focus on are mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. In group, you will learn about specific ways to use these skills in your everyday life when the urge to injure arises.
An important part of DBT is phone coaching. What is phone coaching? Well, it means that you are able to contact your therapist whenever you need to. When distressing experiences occur, you are put in a position in which you have a choice. You can choose to engage in healthy or unhealthy behavior to deal with the painful feelings that come up.
And when you feel compelled to self-harm, you can reach out to your therapist. They will listen without judgment and help you slow down while walking you through your options. Having your therapist readily available when you’re not in group or individual sessions can make a world of a difference.
The collaboration of these three DBT elements provides a multifaceted approach to addressing self-harming tendencies. Not only will your therapist help you engage in healthier coping behaviors that you learn in skills group, but they will help you get to the root of what got you here in the first place. Our therapists aim to help you find long-term solutions to eliminate self-harm from your toolbox.
A major part of successful DBT treatment is helping you develop a deeper understanding of who you truly are. Our DBT therapists want to help you figure out what makes your life worth living, then support you in building that life.
Confronting self-harm and other destructive behaviors is not a simple task. But with support from the team at our Torrance, CA located DBT center, you can find the motivation to make these changes. If you are ready to discover all the possibilities for your life, get started with DBT.
With over a decade of experience providing Dialectical Behavior Therapy, our Los Angeles area DBT center has the resources to help you overcome life’s hardships. From social isolation and loneliness to dysfunctional family dynamics, our therapists have the training to help. In addition, we serve those struggling with managing anger and experiencing suicidal thoughts. Whatever your current struggle may be, our DBT therapists are ready to meet with you whenever you’re ready.
