Dialectical Behavior Therapy At Optimal Mind Psychiatry in McDonough, GA
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness to aid in emotional management, interpersonal relationships, and stress. It aims to achieve emotional balance, self-acceptance, and effective coping strategies, making it particularly beneficial for individuals with overwhelming emotions affecting relationships and daily functioning.
How Dialectical Behavior Therapy Works
Dialectical' in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) represents the delicate balance between embracing change and practicing acceptance. This therapy empowers individuals to acknowledge their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors while guiding them to recognize opportunities for positive transformations in their lives.
DBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness, aligning thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness involves being fully present, enhancing awareness of thoughts, sensations, and surroundings without judgment. This aids in utilizing healthy coping skills during emotional distress by focusing on the present moment.
In DBT, individuals cultivate the ability to be present, accepting their current reality, all the while striving for constructive changes.
Your provider will teach you ways to stay in the moment by learning to observe experiences without judging them. Understanding and practicing mindfulness sets the stage to be able to use newly learned skills effectively.
This skill emphasizes the importance of accepting current situations and emotions, rather than trying to change them immediately. Your Optimal Mind Psychiatry therapist can then work with you on practical coping mechanisms to employ in real-world scenarios to ease emotional pain and discomfort.
You’ll practice how to understand, accept, and manage your own emotions. The goal here is not to bury your emotions, but to recognize and own your feelings without being controlled by them.
Your Optimal Mind Psychiatry therapist will coach you to communicate and interact more effectively with others. So that you can maintain healthy, positive relationships.
What to expect during a Dialectical Behavior Therapy session
During your DBT sessions, your therapist may focus on the following skills:
Benefits of DBT
DBT is beneficial for those who have difficulty regulating and developing skills for constructively managing distress. Some of the many benefits of DBT include:
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Becoming more self-aware and self-accepting
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Learning to manage difficult, intense emotions
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Improving communication skills
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Learning effective coping strategies
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Improving interpersonal relationships
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Reducing negative thought patterns and behaviors
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Developing better problem-solving skills
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Increasing motivation and focus
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Overall improved mental health
By learning the skills taught in DBT, individuals can gain a greater sense of control over their emotions, relationships, and lives.
Conditions DBT can help treat
DBT has been found to be an effective treatment for a number of mental health conditions, including:
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Depression
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Borderline Personality Disorder
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma
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Self-harm
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Substance Abuse and Addiction
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Eating Disorders
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Bipolar Disorder
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Anxiety Disorders