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DBT Therapy Online in North Dakota & Minnesota

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy designed to help people manage intense emotions and improve relationships. It combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices, focusing on four key skills: emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. In DBT, you’ll learn how to understand and cope with difficult feelings, communicate better with others, and stay present in the moment. This approach is particularly helpful for those struggling with anxiety, depression, or self-destructive behaviors, providing tools to create a more balanced and fulfilling life.

How DBT Works

Step 1: Building Mindfulness Skills
The first step in DBT is learning mindfulness skills. Mindfulness teaches you to be present in the moment, helping you observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment. This is especially important for trauma survivors, as it allows you to stay grounded during overwhelming emotions and reduces anxiety.

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Step 2: Understanding Emotions
In DBT, we work on understanding and accepting your emotions. You’ll learn to identify what you’re feeling and why, which is crucial for trauma recovery. Recognizing your emotions helps you respond to them more effectively, rather than reacting impulsively or suppressing them.

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Step 3: Distress Tolerance Skills
DBT provides specific skills to help you cope with distressing situations. Distress tolerance skills teach you how to manage pain and discomfort without resorting to harmful behaviors. This is particularly helpful for those who may struggle with self-harm or substance use as a way to cope with trauma.

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Step 4: Emotion Regulation Techniques
Next, we focus on emotion regulation. You’ll learn strategies to manage and change intense emotions that may arise from past trauma. This includes skills for decreasing emotional vulnerability and increasing positive emotions, allowing you to create a more balanced emotional state.

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Step 5: Interpersonal Effectiveness
DBT also emphasizes improving relationships through interpersonal effectiveness skills. You’ll learn how to communicate your needs, set boundaries, and develop healthier relationships. This is especially valuable for trauma survivors, who may find it difficult to trust others or navigate social situations.

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Step 6: Creating a Life Worth Living
The ultimate goal of DBT is to help you create a fulfilling life. We’ll work together to set personal goals and develop a sense of purpose. This involves integrating the skills you’ve learned to help you move beyond trauma and embrace a more positive future.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a specialized type of therapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and cope with trauma. DBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices, making it particularly effective for those who have experienced trauma.

Abbie Anderson provides DBT. Picture is of 3 pieces of paper that say dialectical behavior therapy.

Who Can Benefit from DBT

  • Individuals Struggling with Intense Emotions: If you experience overwhelming emotions due to trauma—such as anger, sadness, or fear—DBT can help. It provides tools to regulate these intense emotions and prevent them from taking control of your life.

  • Trauma Survivors with Self-Destructive Behaviors: For people who turn to self-harm, substance use, or other harmful behaviors to cope with trauma, DBT provides healthier alternatives. The skills learned in DBT offer safer ways to tolerate distress and reduce the urge to engage in these behaviors.

  • Those Struggling with Emotional Numbness: If you’ve shut down emotionally as a result of trauma, DBT can help you reconnect with your feelings in a safe and manageable way. It offers tools for gradually re-engaging with emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them.

  • Trauma Survivors with Anxiety or Panic Attacks: If trauma has left you feeling anxious or experiencing panic attacks, DBT helps you develop mindfulness skills. These skills keep you grounded in the present moment, making it easier to manage anxiety and stay calm during triggering situations.

  • People Experiencing Relationship Difficulties: Trauma can make it difficult to trust others, express emotions, or set boundaries. DBT provides interpersonal effectiveness skills that teach you how to communicate clearly, assert your needs, and build healthier, more supportive relationships.

  • Individuals with PTSD Symptoms: For those dealing with flashbacks, nightmares, or hypervigilance related to trauma, DBT offers mindfulness and emotion regulation tools. These skills help reduce the intensity of PTSD symptoms and bring a sense of calm.

  • People Who Struggle with Impulsivity: If you find yourself reacting impulsively to triggers, DBT helps slow down these reactions. By learning distress tolerance skills, you’ll be able to pause and choose healthier responses, rather than acting on impulse.

  • Those with Chronic Feelings of Shame or Guilt: Trauma can often leave people with deep-rooted feelings of shame or guilt. DBT helps challenge these negative beliefs and replace them with more self-compassionate and realistic perspectives.

  • Adults Seeking Balance and Healing After Trauma: DBT is ideal for anyone who feels stuck in emotional turmoil after trauma. It teaches practical skills that help you regain control of your emotions, improve your relationships, and work toward a more fulfilling, peaceful life.

  • Individuals with Depression Linked to Trauma: For individuals dealing with trauma-related depression, DBT helps by giving you practical tools to regulate emotions and shift negative thinking patterns. It promotes building a “life worth living,” helping to lift the weight of depression over time.

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Start Enhancing Your Skills Today!

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