Steps from the Red Line
Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Cambridge
If you feel you cannot control your emotions and that they are simply too big, you likely have problems with emotional regulation. Unfortunately, this problem can have a huge impact on your day-to-day life, getting in the way of your happiness, as well as your relationships, work life, and achievements at school/college.
That’s where dialectical behavior therapy comes in. Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT therapy, is a specific type of evidence-based therapy that focuses on helping patients manage their emotions, internal conflicts, and self-destructive and harmful behaviors.
At Cambridge Mental Health, we offer a psychiatric day treatment* program that includes DBT therapy, helping you to overcome mental health challenges.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy DBT Treatment?
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy. It was originally created to treat people with borderline personality disorder – in particular, the intense emotions that come with that disorder. However, over time, it has been used more and more for a variety of mental health issues, including things like depression, anxiety, stress, and other mood disorders.
There are four core principles of DBT that are covered in the DBT skills group with the help of a DBT therapist. These include:
Core Mindfulness: This is all about bringing the patient’s attention to the present time, moment, and space. Instead of letting the mind wander off, it’s about finding awareness of the current surroundings.
Distress Tolerance: Distress tolerance helps the patients deal with bad situations without resorting to destructive behaviors (like self-harm) because of the intense emotions that come with the situation.
Emotional Regulation: Emotion regulation is about accepting and then changing emotions. The therapist helps the patient identify the negative emotions as well as the patterns that lead up to them. From there, certain skills will be learnt, such as acting in a completely different emotion to the one the patient feels.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Interpersonal effectiveness gives the patient more power in their daily lives. It teaches them how to communicate their own needs and how to set boundaries when necessary.
What Are the Benefits of a DBT Program?
If you are unsure whether DBT is right for you, consider some of the following benefits.
Can Help a Range of Problems: While dialectical behavior therapy was originally meant to treat just borderline personality disorder, it is now a widely used and versatile evidence-based treatment that helps anyone struggling with big emotions.
It Teaches Coping Skills: It is not about helping the patient feel better in the short term – instead, it’s about teaching effective coping skills so that they can handle their emotions in the future.
Reduced Chance of Self-Harm: One of the biggest dangers of mental health problems is the risk of self-harm. Dialectical behavior therapy is an excellent and effective solution to helping individuals steer away from self-harm when they experience negative emotions.
About Our DBT Services
If you are interested in our DBT skills group to help develop healthier coping strategies, here’s what to expect.
Individual Plans Focused on Goals
At Cambridge Mental Health, we know that every patient is a unique and complex individual. You bring a lot to the table, and in turn we create a specific dialectical behavior therapy DBT program just for you, taking into account your medical history and past experiences with therapy and mental health treatment.
Therapy Sessions
We offer both DBT individual therapy and group therapy sessions.
Individual Therapy: Part of the DBT treatment will involve individual therapy sessions. This will involve a one-on-one meeting where you’ll aim to reach certain goals. You will learn more skills that help you reduce harmful behavior and control emotions.
Group Therapy (DBT Skills Group): Group therapy is also a big part of DBT treatment. This involves DBT skills group, which is structured like a classroom teaching session and involves a group of individuals practicing the skills they developed in the individual therapy sessions.
The Homework
We also assign homework as part of our DBT skills training. This generally involves worksheets and diary cards. This will help you stay on track with everything you learn, enhancing your skills.
A Supportive Environment
We provide all our behavioral and cognitive therapies, such as dialectical behavior therapy DBT, in a safe and supportive environment. You will feel heard, understood, and empathized with. We even offer men and women-only outpatient plans if that makes sense for you and your goals.
Ongoing Support
Once you’ve finished the individual and group therapy sessions as part of your dialectical behavior DBT program, we will continue to support you. We can set up aftercare, and you will always have a support network with us.
Are Our DBT Treatment Options Right for You?
Are you wondering if DBT therapy is the right step for you? DBT therapy makes sense if:
You Are Coming Out of Inpatient Care: DBT therapy with us makes a great transition from inpatient care. Our outpatient program doesn’t require overnight stays, but it does provide plenty of support and structure.
You Need More Support than Weekly Sessions: Some people need more support than weekly individual or group sessions. If you need a higher level of support, our outpatient program with DBT works well.
You Struggle with Intense Emotions: Dialectical behavior therapy DBT specifically helps individuals manage their big and complex emotions. So, if you struggle with controlling your emotions, whether that’s sadness, anger, or anything else, we can help.
If any of the above apply to you, a specialized DBT program will likely help address your emotional and behavioral needs. You can always contact our team to discuss whether our program is right for you.
Start the Dialectical Behavior Therapy DBT Admission Process Today
The DBT skills you will learn from our program will help you through the rest of your life. We support you in a lifelong recovery – one where you can better control your emotions.
If you want to start a personalized treatment plan, get in touch today. Our friendly team can help you through what the DBT admission process entails, and you can be benefiting from our DBT services before too long.