Comprehensive Psychological Services with a Specialty in Eating Disorders

Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based (DBT) Programs

The Koch Center offers a Dialectical Therapy-Based (DBT) Program for Adults and a Dialectical Therapy-Based Group for Adolescents and Their Families.

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

DBT teaches skills that help the individual identify and cope with distressing thoughts and feelings. Often, these feelings have been interfering with the individual’s ability to function and enjoy life. Our DBT-Based Skills Groups foster the capacity to experience a full emotional life without becoming overwhelmed or overwhelming others. Skills are practiced and progress tracked using exercises such as completing homework and diary cards and recording thoughts and behaviors.

Some Targets of DBT

• To decrease behaviors that interfere with treatment

• To decrease suicidal, parasuicidal and self-injurious behaviors

• To teach the ability to “think down the middle,” or to see both sides of an issue

Targets are achieved through instruction and practice of the following key principles of DBT:

Core Mindfulness: Using a Zen-like method of self-observation called “mindfulness,” individuals learn to notice their emotions and to endure them—without acting upon them

Distress Tolerance: Individuals learn short-term strategies designed to help them cope with and distract themselves during moments of overwhelming distress

Affect Regulation: Individuals are taught about the physiological, psychological and environmental factors that contribute to emotions. The goal is to enable one to learn how to increase positive emotions and decrease negative ones, thereby enhancing one’s sense of emotional balance

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Assertiveness and communications skills are emphasized with the aim of promoting effective social interaction

DBT Groups for Adults meet weekly, and all skills are expected to be completed within a six-month period. A one-week break will occur between each skill set.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based Groups for Adolescents and Their Families

This Skills Group is geared specifically for adolescents and their families. Along with the basic four principles discussed above (Core Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Affect Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness), a fifth skill set will be taught: Finding the Middle Path. This section teaches families the principles of limit-setting, reinforcement, and validation of feelings and helps parents to “find a middle path” that avoids being overly strict or too lenient.

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Individual DBT Services are also available at the Koch Center. For further information about any of our DBT Programs, please contact Dr.Cyndi Koch at (201) 670-6450 x1.