Is DBT for Me? - Psychological Health Centre

Is DBT for me?

If you have found your way to this page, there is a good chance that you or someone you care about has been told that they should “do DBT.”

There are generally a few circumstances that can lead people to contact us:

A recent hospital stay or visit to an emergency department in relation to issues of self-harm or suicidal thoughts
Speaking with your psychologist, GP or psychiatrist about the need for a more intensive psychological treatment approach
Experiencing recurring difficulties in relationships
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions at times and like the emotions interfere with your ability to achieve what you would like to in life
Finding it hard to stay on track to do the things in life that are important to you.
Considering trauma focused therapy but recognising that you need skills on board to do this safely and effectively
Having tried other treatments but they didn’t seem to exactly meet your needs.

The DBT Solutions program is a comprehensive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy program at The Psychological Health Centre in Dee Why. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a treatment designed to help people who are experiencing intense emotions and/or struggling with behaviours that are interfering with having the life they want to be living. The program focuses on learning skills for understanding and regulating emotions, managing high levels of distress and developing effective strategies for communication and relationships.

Generally, people who come to DBT programs may have been experiencing:

Suicidal thinking or behaviours
Self-harm urges or behaviours
Impulsive behaviours such as substance use, binge eating, excessive shopping, gambling
Mood-dependent decision making where the ‘mood of the moment’ tends to direct the choices you make
Difficulties with chaotic interpersonal relationships in different areas of life

The key point here in deciding whether DBT could be an effective treatment choice for you is to consider whether you have intense emotions, behaviours or behaviour patterns that you want to change. Are these emotions and/or behaviours barriers to you moving towards the life you want to live?