Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

An evidence based therapy for building a life worth living.

DBT is a psychological therapy first developed in the late 1980s by Dr Marsha Linehan and colleagues at the Behavioural and Research Clinics at the University of Washington, Seattle USA. DBT has become an internationally renowned leading treatment for problems of emotion and behaviour.

DBT helps with a range of difficulties

Originally developed for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, DBT is well established as a very effective treatment for BPD as well as Eating Disorders, Substance Use problems, PTSD, trauma, Bi-Polar Disorder, OCD, attention deficit, depression and anxiety. DBT is an effective treatment for many difficulties of emotion dysregulation.

A comprehensive therapy

DBT is an intensive treatment with a number of components. Individual therapy targets unwanted behaviours, whilst building on skills to manage emotional difficulties. Life threatening and treatment interfering behaviours are effectively changed with DBT treatment. DBT teaches a large number of specific life skills. These are most effectively taught as a course referred to as DBT Skills Groups/Classes. Standard DBT treatment may also include telephone coaching and between-session support, making it a very flexible and responsive treatment. Therapists offering DBT participate in a DBT Consultation Team to ensure the therapy remains of the highest quality and effective in reaching treatment goals. Participants in DBT are supported not only to reduce troubling symptoms but to build a “life worth living”, as part of a holistic recovery journey.

Our DBT Skills Course

Our DBT skills program has been designed to bring DBT to you.

Our DBT programs offers a range of written and other resources to support individuals to learn all of the DBT skills. We have 3 different Modules (each is 7 sessions) that can be taken individually or as a complete course of 21 sessions. Learn the full range of DBT skills by attending weekly classes.
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DBT Skills

  • Distress Tolerance

    Practical skills for surviving crisis situations without making it worse. Learn rapid de-escalation skills as well as skills for tolerating distress and sitting with urges and impulses. Also learn about the role of acceptance in reducing suffering and what to do when it is impossible to change a situation.

  • Emotion Regulation

    Learn how to accurately identify and name emotions -the first step in managing the intensity of emotions. This Module includes developing an understanding of what emotions do for us, why we have them and how to check if emotions are effective and healthy responses. We also include skills for managing thoughts, as well as skills for getting out of unwanted emotions.

  • Interpersonal Effectiveness

    This Module will support development of skills for all things Interpersonal. Learn skills for getting needs met and opinions taken seriously, as well as assertivness skills that won't damage relationships or your self-respect. We will teach effective communications, skills for beating social anxiety, and how to manage conflict. This Module also focuses on building and maintaining health relationships and skillful responses to unhealthy relationships.

  • Mindfulness

    Included in all our Modules, Mindfulness is the ability to be aware and present, to practice non-judgment and non-attachement. These skills assist us to act effectively, keeping in mind the bigger picture and our longer-term goals. Learn how to let thoughts and emotions come and go.

  • Middle Path

    Incorporated within our other Modules, these skills support us to be more balanced, to be able to more away from extremes and to be able to balance apparent opposites. Learn to be more "Dialectical" to validate yourself and others, and the keys to changing behaviour.

Our DBT Classes

We've worked hard to make our DBT program accessible. Our programs are flexible and include eveything you need to learn DBT skills.

  • Regular intakes. Our Adult Programs have new intakes every 8 weeks.

  • Options for in-person and online skills classes

  • Bonus resources to support a range of learning styles

  • Combine with individual therapy for best outcomes

  • Flexible delivery -we have courses outside of regular buisness hours and during the day.