Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, or DBT, is a type of evidence-based mental health therapy.
DBT helps people to understand their emotions, learn coping skills to manage difficulties, and build acceptance. The word “dialectical” means “the existence of opposites,” and DBT is all about teaching people how to find balance in their lives through accepting their experiences while also working towards positive behaviour change.
Dialectical Thinking: A core concept in DBT
DBT was first developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), a mental health disorder that causes emotional dysregulation. Through years of research and mental health practice, we now know that DBT can be an effective therapy for a number of mental health concerns, including:
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Although dialectical behaviour therapy has been around since the 1970s, the treatment has become more popular and commonplace in recent years. DBT was developed by psychologist and researcher Marsha Linehan, who herself lived with mental illness. Linehan and colleagues created DBT when they discovered that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), another type of mental health therapy focused on changing thought patterns, did not work as well as expected for clients coping with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). DBT builds on CBT’s focus on changing unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving and also incorporates acceptance skills to support positive behaviour change.
DBT was the first effective treatment for adults coping with BPD, emotion dysregulation and suicidality. Over the years since it was introduced, research evidence has mounted to support its effectiveness for treating a range of conditions, even beyond what it was originally designed for (BPD). For this reason, interest in DBT has grown, and it has become a core tool in many therapists’ toolboxes. It has also been shown to retain its usefulness in diverse settings, including both in-person and online.
A full treatment protocol of DBT includes individual therapy, skills group, and phone coaching. However, DBT skills can be incorporated into many different treatment formats to best meet a diversity of individual needs or severity of symptoms. For example, participating in a skills group can be a good introduction to DBT skills and can be complemented by individual therapy sessions.
Dialectical behaviour therapy is a very practical, skills-focused therapeutic method. Whether you engage with DBT as a full treatment protocol or with a few components that are a good fit for your needs, there are four core skills that you will learn:
Mindfulness is an intentional practice of focusing our minds on the present moment and working to accept our thoughts and emotions without judgment. Like a muscle, we can strengthen this skill through consistently practicing using our five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) to feel present rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
As we go about navigating our daily lives, we’re all bound to run into situations where we feel distressed at some point or another, and DBT equips us to manage these moments in healthy ways. Distress tolerance skills allow us to tolerate a distressing incident without making things worse, helping us feel confident taking on all kinds of situations.
Emotion regulation is controlling which emotions we experience, when we experience them and how we experience or express them. Improving our emotion regulation skills can help us to feel more control of our feelings and our lives - that’s why these skills are so critical in DBT.
As humans, a central part of our lives is interacting with others and finding ways to positively relate to them. We can apply interpersonal effectiveness skills to guide our behaviour and help us to build and maintain happy, healthy relationships, supporting stability in our lives overall.
In this group, individuals will learn to implement DBT techniques and strategies including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Learn moreThis program is for individuals who have previously learned DBT skills within a group or individual sessions and are looking for ongoing support applying DBT skills to their daily life.
Learn moreIndividual therapy allows clients to receive high quality support that suits their needs and preferences in a 1:1 format. Layla therapists draw on evidence based treatment methods including DBT.
Learn moreOur clients are interested in self-discovery, emotional healing, or are working through a range of challenges that respond well to therapy. For example, these include: stress, anxiety, phobias, depression, mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, self-esteem, anger, addictions, trauma, relationships, family conflict, couples counselling, and life transitions.
At this time, Layla is only able to work with clients who are residents of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. Please note that Layla does not provide crisis support. If you or someone else is in crisis and require immediate assistance, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.
There will be up to 10 participants in each group. Each online group session will be structured with an opening mindfulness practice. Each session will include the introduction of new skills, discussion, examples, and homework practice review. Materials including handouts and worksheets will be provided prior to the start of each group.
Sessions will be conducted through secure video, and participants will be asked to commit to confidentiality. Only your first name will be used with other group members, and sessions will not be recorded. This program will include up to 10 participants.
The group facilitator is available to respond to non-urgent questions outside of sessions but is not accessible for emergency or crisis support. You may forward your non-urgent questions to the facilitator via email and expect an answer on group day prior to the start of group. In the event of an emergency or crisis, please call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department for further assistance.
Layla has a variety of options to best meet your current DBT needs whether it is individual therapy or group therapy!
Individual therapy provides 1 to 1 support for adults and youth looking to work with a registered mental health professional with DBT specialization. This is a good option if you’re looking for a more individualized focus for sessions.
Our DBT group programming offers options for individuals 18+ who are new or more experienced with DBT skills in a supportive group setting. In the DBT Skills Group - 12 weeks, individuals learn to implement DBT techniques and strategies. If you are new to DBT Skills, this may be a good way to introduce DBT Skills into your daily life. The program is also a good choice should you be looking to refresh your knowledge of DBT Skills.
If you have experience with DBT Skills through previous individual or group sessions, and are 18+, the DBT Advanced Skills Roundtable may be a better fit for you! Sessions focus on supporting you in increasing your comfort level in integrating core DBT Skills into your daily life. You will also have access to Layla’s DBT library as part of your program fees.
Depending on the program you choose, there may be program specific restrictions. Please navigate to the program specific page for more information or contact our team at groups@layla.care for assistance!
The DBT Skills Group - 12 week program is offered at a total of $900 including tax, which covers all 12 sessions / 24 hours of the program. Clients receive a receipt with the facilitator’s license information that may be used for extended health benefits reimbursement. We encourage you to check your health benefits to verify if you are covered for services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist and/or Registered Social Worker (or let us know if we can help with that).
The cost of the DBT Advanced Skills Roundtable is $390 per program taxes included for 8 sessions. The fee includes access to all weekly sessions and a DBT skills library. This program focuses on supporting you in increasing your comfort level in integrating DBT skills within your daily life.
Participants will receive receipts with the providers license for insurance reimbursement.
In most cases, therapy sessions are covered by your insurance provider. Sign up and talk to one of our care coordinators to find out more information—it’s free!
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Layla's Group Therapy programs are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals in Ontario, Alberta, or British Columbia.
