Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Westchester, and Surrounding Areas in Connecticut and New York.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for people who have difficulties dealing with emotions. DBT encourages change, but also promotes acceptance. It combines aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy and Zen mindfulness. Although initially developed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation, it has now been shown to be effective in treating several psychological conditions, such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, PTSD, and eating disorders.
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We will work with you to build fore core skills: (1) Mindfulness; (2) Interpersonal Effectiveness; (3) Distress Tolerance; and (4) Emotion Regulation. We do so through weekly therapy sessions and homework. We can also provide phone coaching.
What will you teach me?
We will work with you on building four skills:
1. Mindfulness: We will teach you how to focus the mind on the present moment and observe and describe what you are feeling and thinking in the moment with acceptance. Mindfulness can help you reduce reactivity to painful thoughts and emotions.
2. Interpersonal effectiveness: We can help you balance meeting your goals with keeping your relationships while maintaining self-respect. These skills can help reduce conflict, meet your goals in relationships, and build meaningful relationships.
3. Distress tolerance: We can teach you skills for surviving a crisis without making things worse. These skills can you help you reduce problem behaviors such as self-injury, binge eating, and angry outbursts.
4: Emotion regulation: We can work with you to help understand emotional experience, reduce emotional vulnerability, increase positive emotions, and decrease emotional suffering
We include weekly homework to practice these skills and give you a weekly diary card to track goals and problem behaviors. We can incorporate phone and text coaching to help you utilize skills in the actual, real-time moment in your life when the skill is needed.
What modality do you practice?
We currently only provide individual therapy as well as phone coaching. We do not provide group skills training or consultation.
What type of training do you have in DBT?
Drs. Sala and Roos completed DBT training at Yale University. All therapists have experience facilitating DBT groups and/or with individual DBT therapy.