Address
Tom Lantos 10,
Netanya
DBT - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
DBT is one of those wonderful therapies that combines acceptance with the gentle nudge towards change. Those uncontrollable behaviours after a trigger is understandable, but probably don't serve you. DBT teaches that every emotion or situation is temporary, and we need to ride the wave to get to the other side. The more we struggle, fight it, or get mad at what we can't change, the more likely we are to fall off that metaphorical surfboard and plunge into the water. This then takes infinitely more time to get ashore and out of our emotional suffering.
DBT combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques with mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies, making it particularly good for people who experience intense emotions, self-destructive behaviours, and difficulties in relationships. We use DBT skillset often with clients struggling to find anything outside "black and white" thinking patterns.
What is DBT Therapy good at treating?
DBT is especially helpful in working with addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, OCD, Complex PTSD, most personality disorders, and emotional dysregulation.
How do we use DBT in therapy?
DBT is a tool, like any other approach to therapy. We are not classic "DBT Therapists" for several reasons. One, in Israel you can't be licensed as a DBT therapist, only abroad. Two, we don't stick to only one tool to help our clients. Therapy should be tailored to the specific needs of the individual before us.
With that being said, we like to integrate DBT especially when we see some "black and white" thinking that doesn't allow for a little grey to enter the story. DBT is also fantastic at addressing overwhelming emotions and how to regulate our responses to them.
What does research say about DBT?
Most research has focused on treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) to reduce self-harming behaviors and suicidal ideation.
What to expect from DBT therapy.
DBT is often more directive and requires of the therapists to be more active in challenging false beliefs about the self and world. It uses practical day-to-day techniques to help calm overwhelming emotions, thoughts, and sensations. Sometimes you get homework and tasks to do between sessions.