Comprehensive DBT Therapy in Philadelphia— The Deets

What does comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy look like?

You’ve been struggling for a long time. You’re tired of your emotional reactivity and how it only causes relationship problems. You’re ashamed of the times you’ve acted crazy and wish you knew how to control your anger so it wouldn’t take over.

Maybe you’ve been in therapy or counseling before, but you never felt lasting effects or made the long-term changes you had hoped for. While you believe that talking with a therapist can be helpful, you can’t help but wonder why things haven’t worked the way you needed them to.

As a DBT therapist, many of my clients have been in therapy or have seen a therapist before. However, they’ve complained that they didn’t get much out of it or it didn’t seem to help very much. They acknowledge that talking with someone can be beneficial, and at the same time, they didn’t feel like their own experiences improved. After searching, they found Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

It can be confusing finding a Comprehensive DBT program.

Some therapists out there say they do DBT, but what they actually mean is that they are “DBT-informed”. While this is not an inherently “bad” thing, it can get confusing when you’re trying to get the most effective help for what you need, and what you need is DBT.

Over the years in my therapy private practice, one of the single most frequently asked questions I get has to do with what it’s like to be in DBT. So many times, I’ve been asked during consultations, that I thought it would make sense for me to devote a post(s) to address this very question.

I’ve been in therapy before. What makes DBT different and will it work for me?  

Nearly all of my clients who previously saw a therapist, regardless of whether they liked their therapist, complained of one of two things.

1. “My prior therapist listened to me but didn’t help me solve the problems that brought me into therapy in the first place.”

2. “The therapist focused on the changes I needed to make, but I felt judged and unheard. They didn’t seem to “get” me.” 

So here’s the thing. Here’s some of the juicy magic that makes up DBT.

DBT involves acceptance AND change

1. It means that venting and insight alone won’t always help you solve your problems.

   It was like ok, you get me. But, now what? Aren’t you going to help me? How do I solve these problems that are causing me pain?

2. On the other hand, knowing how to make changes IS important, and yet, many times it’s like, where’s the compassion?

   There are very good reasons why you’re feeling so miserable. Sometimes shitty events are shitty and reframing your thinking won’t make the shitty things better.

The magic behind DBT is that it acknowledges the need for both your therapist’s acceptance of where you’re at, that you’re trying your damndest to stay afloat, that you’re doing the best you can in the present moment, AND that you need strategies you can use to help you make the changes you need to have a life that is worth living.

If the above resonates with you, you’re not alone.

If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels and not seeing the changes you need to be seeing, you may benefit from Dialectical Behavior Therapy. 

What does comprehensive DBT look like?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an intensive mental health treatment, which involves 4 main components. In order for DBT to be considered “comprehensive”, these four parts that must be present. These include weekly individual therapy sessions and weekly DBT Skills Training. Additionally, a DBT program must have phone coaching available in between sessions for clients who need in-the-moment assistance to implement the skills they’ve been learning. Lastly, a therapist who provides DBT must be a member of a DBT Consultation Team. A therapist calling themselves a “DBT therapist” must have those four modes of treatment provided, in addition to, having had completed all of the necessary, intensive training and education.

How do I know if I need comprehensive DBT?

Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy is for people whose lives have been filled with so much emotional pain, relationship problems, and destructive behavior that they are unable to effectively deal with life’s problems and demands.

Comprehensive DBT is a commitment. It is both a time and financial commitment.

As a DBT therapist, I will work with you to decide if it makes sense for you to begin comprehensive treatment. This is done in several ways, including thorough assessments, orienting you on the specifics of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and confirming your commitment to comprehensive DBT.

It is important to note that as a DBT therapist, DBT is my therapeutic approach. DBT is a lifestyle and as such, I fully embrace a dialectical worldview. That means that if it is decided you don’t need intensive DBT Skills Training, you can still benefit from therapy with a DBT therapist.

Philadelphia DBT

If you were ready to take back control of your emotions, create meaningful, deep connections and relationships with others and not feel so crazy, DBT is an effective treatment to consider. Being in DBT can help you feel more in control of your relationships, emotions, and behavior. I know you’re tired of being miserable and suffering.

DBT is a life-worth-living treatment.

Philadelphia BPD Treatment and Anxiety Therapy

As a Philadelphia DBT therapist, I specialize in the treatment of borderline personality disorder and anxiety. My virtual, outpatient DBT program can provide you with a way out of hell. Reach out today. My consultations for dialectical behavior therapy, BPD treatment, and anxiety therapy can be scheduled HERE.