Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

If your emotions sometimes feel too big to handle — if small setbacks turn into overwhelming storms, relationships feel like a minefield, or you find yourself doing things in the heat of the moment that you later regret — you are not broken, and you are not alone. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, was created precisely for people who feel things deeply and have never been taught how to ride those waves. It is one of the most thoroughly researched therapies in mental health, and at its heart is a simple, hopeful idea: you can accept yourself exactly as you are and still build a life that feels worth living.

Where DBT comes from

DBT was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan, who recognized that some people experience emotions far more intensely than others and need more than insight to feel better — they need concrete skills. The "dialectical" in the name points to the balance the therapy strikes between two truths that seem opposite: the need for radical acceptance of your current reality, and the need for change. Holding both at once, rather than choosing between them, is what makes DBT distinct. Over four decades of research has shown it to be effective, and it has become a gold-standard approach for emotion regulation difficulties.

The four core skills

DBT teaches four sets of practical skills. They build on one another, and once you learn them, they are yours for life.

Who DBT helps

DBT was first studied in people living with borderline personality disorder, but its reach is much wider today. It can help anyone whose emotions feel overwhelming or hard to control — including people struggling with self-harm or suicidal thoughts, chronic feelings of emptiness, impulsivity, intense mood swings, or relationships that keep falling apart. It is also frequently used alongside treatment for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, and substance use, because the skills it teaches — staying grounded, surviving a crisis, soothing strong feelings, communicating clearly — are useful no matter what you're working through.

What DBT looks like at Hopewell

At Hopewell Health Solutions, DBT is delivered by licensed clinicians as part of our intensive outpatient (IOP) and partial hospitalization (PHP) programs. Rather than learning skills in isolation, you practice them in a supportive group, apply them to real situations in your own life, and refine them with your therapist. The atmosphere is intentionally validating — you are met with understanding, not judgment — while you are gently challenged to try new responses to old, painful patterns. Over time, the goal is simple but profound: emotions that once ran your life become something you can name, tolerate, and manage, so you can move toward the relationships and the future you actually want.

Frequently asked questions