The other day a warning light came on in my car. I remember having the thought, “you have to be kidding me” I have a fairly new car and felt as if it was too early for this car to start having problems. After some time, I recognized it didn’t matter what I thought or … Read more
For teens, they are constantly pulled and moving in so many directions. They are always on the move somewhere or need a ride to the next thing that is going on in their social circle. It is difficult for many parents to keep up on them, ensure that they sit down to eat a nutritious … Read more
As we are probably very acutely aware, our world is rapidly changing. The development of technology, the internet, and subsequently, social media, has had a huge impact on the world. We’re now able to get real time updates on events happening all over the world, we can connect with people we haven’t seen in years, … Read more
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a third-wave evidence-based treatment that has been proven to be effective for individuals with borderline personality disorder and a range of mental health difficulties with underlying emotion dysregulation. DBT has recently been adapted to improve evidence-based behaviorist approaches to couples therapy, primarily by Dr. Alan Fruzzetti, professor of psychology and … Read more
*Content Warning: This blog contains information related to eating disorder behaviors. Please take care of yourself when reading.* “I can skip lunch again.” “If I eat this meal, I’ll go run 5 miles.” “Let me weigh myself one more time.” “Just one more bag of chips and then I’ll stop.” At different times … Read more
What to Expect from Individual DBT Sessions If you’re considering starting the comprehensive DBT program at the Cincinnati Center for DBT (CCDBT), you probably have a few questions about what you can expect. Pre-treatment orientation The first 4-5 sessions in the DBT program are set up to orient you to DBT. While this can be … Read more
Radical acceptance stands as the most challenging and most freeing DBT skill I have ever learned. Radical acceptance is fully and truly affirming reality, just as it is. This means letting of resisting things you cannot change. In religious circles, the serenity prayer captures radical acceptance; “grant me the serenity to accept the things I … Read more
Validation communicates that a person’s beliefs, feelings, and/or actions make sense. It is vital in safe relationships because it helps us feel respected and heard. Having someone express that feelings make sense brings immense feelings of relief, melts away defensiveness, and boosts effectiveness. On the flip side, being invalidated leads to strong feelings of anger … Read more
“Calm down!” “Stop overreacting!” “You’re always upset about something, try being happy for a change.” These statements are examples of invalidation. Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of DBT, broke invalidation down into two characteristics: 1. Telling a person they are wrong in how they describe their emotions and their understanding of their emotions, especially if … Read more
Before I became a therapist, I had no clue how emotions worked. To me, emotions were this huge, abstract idea, something that just happened to me that I didn’t have much control over. In becoming a DBT clinician, though, the model of emotions thoroughly explained how emotions are a full system experience. Think about the … Read more