DBT Therapy in Nashville
DBT, which stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy, was developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan in the 1980s.
It was originally created for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD); however, an abundance of research in recent decades has shown that DBT is effective for a number of other mental health issues such as depression, chronic suicidal ideation, self-harm, bulimia, binge eating, PTSD, and substance use disorders.
The motto of DBT is “building a life worth living.”
It is a heavily skills-focused model, helping clients build strong skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT is strongly supported by research as an effective treatment for a variety of mental health challenges, and can often be a game-changer for folks who have had limited success with other types of therapy.
At The Gaia Center, several of our team members have completed extensive training in DBT for the treatment of borderline personality disorder/complex trauma, eating disorders, relational challenges, and other issues.
What Exactly is DBT?
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The term “dialectical” refers to a synthesis of opposites or a “both ____ and ____” perspective instead of an “either ____or ____” perspective.
In DBT, the principal dialectic is acceptance and change— meaning that both can coexist at the same time. DBT therapists balance accepting clients for where they are, as well as working to help their clients change. The skills component of DBT is also dialectical in nature, with some skills focusing on acceptance and other skills focusing on change.
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The behavioral component refers to focusing on changing or modifying behaviors that are creating dysfunction or pain in your life.
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This one is fairly self-explanatory— also, you’ll notice that “DBT Therapy” is a bit of a misnomer the way that “ATM machine” is, since it’s like saying “Dialectical Behavior Therapy Therapy.” Welcome to the acronym alphabet soup of the therapy world!
Our Approach:
At The Gaia Center, our approach to DBT is holistic, neurodivergent-affirming, systemic, and trauma-informed.
We don’t typically offer DBT in a way that’s considered fully “adherent” or comprehensive according to Linehan’s organization, because we prefer to take a more flexible and integrative approach. We also feel that the way that fully adherent DBT is delivered can at times be paternalistic and not fully honoring of the client’s autonomy and self-determination.
As a subset of coping skills focused on mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, DBT skills can benefit almost everyone— even those without a diagnosable mental health condition.
For this reason, DBT-informed therapy may be the right fit for you even without all of the elements of traditional comprehensive/adherent DBT.
