It can build listening skills and conflict resolution skills and help to build trust with others. CBT emerged in the 1960s in the work of psychiatrist Aaron Beck, who noted that certain types of thinking contributed to emotional problems – which were labeled automatic negative thoughts. In comparison, DBT tends to be better suited to those with BPD, self-harming behaviors, and chronic suicidal ideation. Both CBT and DBT ultimately aim to help the client change their thought patterns; however, CBT focuses more heavily on thought patterns and their redirection compared to DBT. CBT and DBT are both effective forms of therapy but differ in their target populations, philosophical underpinnings, and treatment emphasis. Several studies and organizations support DBT’s efficacy in the treatment of BPD.
Ask your primary healthcare provider for recommendations, or search online to find a therapist in your area. There is a difference in how suitable each therapy is for improving the symptoms of mental health conditions. For depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), research has shown that CBT tends to be the more effective treatment. DBT helps clients regulate their intense emotions and improve interpersonal relationships through validation, acceptance, and behavioral changes.
Therapist Consultation Team
This model emphasizes the importance of validating and accepting your feelings. The main goal of DBT is to teach you skills that can be used to better manage intense emotions and improve communication. CBT has been shown to be effective at treating a number of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and OCD.
- While you may come across therapists who focus on DBT skills or offer treatment from a DBT lens, “they might not be doing that full package,”explains Dr. DiLossi.
- As a child and adolescent psychiatrist who trains and consults with many other clinicians, I often find myself fielding questions about what type of therapy would be the best fit for a particular person.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral therapy initially developed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder.
- The idea is to learn these adaptive skills in a quick, practical, “minds-on” way, then go out and use these strategies in daily life.
- Therefore, negative and unrealistic thoughts can result in feelings of distress and, in turn, have a negative impact on actions.
- For example, if someone has sleep problems, they may go to a cognitive-behavioral therapist.
Overall ratings for each study are reported in Tables Tables11 and and22. DBT therapists may also foster this relationship dynamic in individual sessions, but the more structured, three-part treatment places a bigger emphasis on the therapist or psych leader. For example, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) utilizes acceptance, mindfulness, and values to foster psychological flexibility. dialectical behavioral therapy Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) specifically treats trauma and distressing memories. While CBT and DBT have proven effective for many conditions, they do not represent the only options for mental health treatment. CBT is one of the most researched therapy types, partly because treatment focuses on highly specific goals, and results can be measured relatively easily.
Risks of DBT
Although it may be difficult and time-consuming to find the right DBT therapist for you, it’s important to keep trying. The sooner you can start therapy — and stay committed to it — the sooner you’ll have an improved quality of life. Sessions are usually less structured and directive compared to other types of therapy. CBT often incorporates homework assignments and exercises to reinforce what is discussed in therapy sessions. By practicing new coping strategies and behavioral changes in real-life situations, individuals can gradually replace maladaptive patterns with more productive ones. The results showed that although CBT reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, DBT led to improved EF in patients with GAD.