What Is DBT
DBT stands for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy — a skills-based approach to managing intense emotions, building safer relationships, and breaking out of patterns that leave you feeling stuck or out of control.
Originally developed to support people with Borderline Personality Disorder, DBT has grown far beyond that label. It’s now used worldwide by people navigating ADHD, trauma, anxiety, burnout, and emotional dysregulation. Basically: if you feel too much, shut down often, or keep spiralling through the same struggles — DBT might help.
What makes DBT different is how real it is. It doesn’t ask you to “just think positive” or “calm down.” It teaches actual tools. Tools that help you name what you feel without shame, stay present when your body wants to check out, and communicate clearly when emotions run high.
DBT is grounded in the idea of dialectics — meaning two things can be true at once. You can accept yourself and want to change. You can feel overwhelmed and still take one small step forward. DBT teaches you how to hold both, instead of swinging between extremes.
The four main skill areas in DBT are:
Mindfulness – staying grounded and aware, especially when your emotions try to take over
Distress Tolerance – surviving emotional storms without making things worse
Emotion Regulation – understanding and managing intense feelings before they explode
Interpersonal Effectiveness – setting boundaries, asking for what you need, and protecting your self-respect in relationships
Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. The Guilford Press.
Steinberg, J., & Steinberg, K. (2019). The DBT workbook for emotional relief: Fast-acting dialectical behavior therapy skills to manage intense emotions. Althea Press.
Fitzpatrick, S., & Martinez, J. (2020). The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy on emotion dysregulation in individuals with ADHD: A review of the literature. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 50(4), 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-020-09467-4
Neacsiu, A. D., Bohus, M., & Linehan, M. M. (2014). Dialectical behavior therapy: An intervention for emotion dysregulation. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (2nd ed., pp. 491–507). The Guilford Press.
“The most important thing to understand is that people are doing the best they can and they can do better. Both can be true at the same time.”
Marsha Linehan—Creator of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
