Written by Glintcare Clinical Team
Our multidisciplinary clinical team develops and reviews educational mental health content to ensure accuracy, clarity, and alignment with current clinical practice.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for treating borderline personality disorder, but it has since been proven effective for a wide range of conditions involving emotional dysregulation, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders.
The Dialectic: Acceptance and Change
The "dialectical" in DBT refers to the balance between acceptance and change. DBT teaches you to accept yourself as you are while also working to change unhelpful patterns. This balance is central to the approach — you are doing the best you can, and you need to do better.
The Four Core Skill Modules
### Mindfulness The foundation of DBT. Mindfulness skills help you stay present in the moment, observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement, and reduce reactivity. Core skills include "What" skills (observe, describe, participate) and "How" skills (non-judgementally, one-mindfully, effectively).
### Distress Tolerance These skills help you survive crisis situations without making them worse. Techniques include: - **STOP:** Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully - **TIP:** Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Paired muscle relaxation - **ACCEPTS:** Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing away, Thoughts, Sensations - **Self-Soothe:** Using the five senses to calm yourself
### Emotion Regulation These skills help you understand, identify, and manage your emotions more effectively. You learn to identify the function of emotions, reduce vulnerability to negative emotions, increase positive emotions, and change unwanted emotions.
### Interpersonal Effectiveness These skills help you navigate relationships more effectively. You learn to ask for what you need, say no when appropriate, maintain self-respect, and strengthen relationships. The DEAR MAN acronym guides assertive communication: Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, Mindful, Appear confident, Negotiate.
At Glintcare
Our DBT-informed therapists help individuals struggling with emotional dysregulation build a life worth living. Skills training is offered both individually and in group settings, providing comprehensive support for lasting change.
