DBT training is for mental health professionals who want to offer dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to their patients. It teaches experienced care providers how to use this therapeutic approach, and it’s usually aimed at those who are already qualified and working in the field. Dialectical behavior therapy training can be found in a variety of settings around the world, including educational institutions, research centers, and psychotherapy programs.
Care providers learn how to use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to work with clients who have borderline personality disorder (BPD), though it can also be used to treat other personality disorders. This method of therapy is based on cognitive behavior therapy, which focuses on changing harmful behaviors in order to help patients manage their mental illnesses. Patients with BPD frequently experience feelings of invalidation and rejection, and DBT uses validation and acceptance as part of the practice to keep patients in therapy rather than making them feel invalidated by the therapy, which can lead to them dropping out.
DBT is divided into two parts, both of which are covered in dialectical behavior therapy training. The first is psychotherapy, which is delivered in the form of one-on-one sessions with patients and their caregivers, both in person and over the phone. Patients usually keep diaries and charts, set goals, and collaborate with their therapists to identify and change their behaviors. The first priority is to reduce self-harming behaviors, then those that interfere with therapy, and finally work on improving the patient’s quality of life.
This is supplemented by regular group sessions for skill development in various areas of life. Working with therapists in groups as they begin to develop strategies for working with patients in groups and one-on-one, dialectical behavior therapy training emphasizes the team nature of the treatment. In DBT, patients and therapists collaborate in an allied relationship. This is in contrast to some other therapeutic relationships in which the therapist acts as an absolute authority rather than a collaborative partner.
During dialectical behavior therapy training, therapists learn about the issues unique to caring for patients with BPD, as well as strategies for avoiding and minimizing problems that may arise during therapy. Therapists assume the best in their patients and emphasize that they are all working on improving themselves. Their patients cannot fail the therapy in its entirety, even if they have bad days or weeks. To help their patients cope with the sometimes overwhelming emotions associated with BPD, the therapists emphasize affirmation and support through techniques such as meditation and mindful thinking.