If you’re looking up dialectical behavior therapy in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the U.S., you’ll probably find many options. This type of therapy is very popular, even outside of addiction treatment. But what is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), you may wonder, and how does it work?
DBT is a dynamic form of therapeutic care that helps clients overcome damaging emotions and negative behaviors. In their place, therapists help clients feel uplifting emotions and create positive behaviors that build a solid foundation for recovery. Learning healthy ways to cope with stress is essential in successful long-term recovery.
Searching for dialectical behavior therapy in Los Angeles, California? Contact Avedis Recovery by calling 833.514.0579 or reaching out to our team online.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
What is DBT? It’s actually a modified type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The main goals of this particular therapeutic form of care are to teach people how to:
- Live in the moment
- Develop healthy ways to cope with stress
- Regulate emotions
- Improve relationships with others
Originally, DBT was intended to treat people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, it’s since been adapted to treat people with other mental health issues. DBT can help people who exhibit self-destructive behaviors, have difficulty with emotional regulation, or are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Techniques that are used in DBT include core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
What Is DBT’s Contribution to Addiction Treatment Programs?
Dysfunctional emotions and self-destructive behaviors often fuel addiction. The emotional, mental, and physical instability caused by addiction can further fuel substance use disorders, leading to a downward spiral that’s difficult to break out of as it depletes someone’s health and further destroys their life. Even amid the spiral, many people can still find it hard to change for the better. Most continue to struggle when faced with reality, which can be a stumbling block to recovery.
DBT has evolved to become an evidence-based psychotherapy approach used to treat many conditions that people find difficult to manage or overcome. Treatment settings in which DBT is often used include the following:
- Group therapy: During group therapy sessions, clients may learn skills together or practice them under the watchful eye of their therapist.
- Individual therapy: Clients may also learn skills in one-on-one sessions where their therapist will adjust treatment based on their current behavioral skills and specific personal life challenges.
- Phone coaching: For clients recovering from addiction, this can be an essential feature of DBT. Some clients can call their therapists between sessions to receive professional guidance on coping with a difficult situation that may currently be triggering them.
DBT encourages a balance between change and acceptance, empowering clients to take steps toward sober lives. As therapy progresses in addiction treatment, clients learn to control urges or cravings and manage unhealthy emotions. Eventually, they develop relapse prevention skills and set positive goals.
The changes encouraged by DBT sessions emphasize building a sustainable quality of life while also working to decrease behaviors that cause harm. Thus, DBT is effective in helping clients recover from addiction.
How Can You Look for DBT in Los Angeles?
Within addiction treatment programs, DBT is particularly beneficial because it promotes acceptance and change while still being realistic about the difficulties of abstinence. DBT also motivates engagement in and completion of treatment.
As DBT has been adapted as a treatment for substance use disorders and other forms of mental illness, it should be easy to find DBT options in busy cities like Los Angeles. You may find your options lacking in smaller areas like rural towns, but any mental health center should be able to offer DBT options–or point you to a nearby counterpart that does.
This type of therapy may be offered in either outpatient or inpatient settings. Sessions may be part of a more comprehensive program, such as an addiction treatment program.
Ready To Learn More About Avedis Recovery’s DBT Options in Los Angeles?
Looking for addiction treatment programs that include DBT in Los Angeles, California? Contact Avedis Recovery by calling 833.514.0579 or reaching out to our team online.