Service Description

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach designed by Marsha Linehan to help people deal with overwhelming emotions without losing control or acting destructively.  This type of therapy assumes that the more we try to avoid, control, and struggle with our thoughts and feelings, the more overwhelming they get.  This is not helpful, and increases our suffering.  Alternatively, we can learn over time how to face our emotions, observe our thinking, and mindfully choose new ways to cope, live, and grow. Through DBT, we learn to experience our emotions - as uncomfortable, unwanted, and incompatible as they may be - and develop the skills to cope with the distress that arises when we are faced with our own inner struggle and pain.  DBT encourages us to critically look at what is working in our lives, and at what is not, for the purpose of making changes that will help us lead a valued life.​ DBT is an effective evidence-based treatment approach for wide array of behavioural, emotional, and mental concerns including, but not limited to:  Anger Management Anxiety Behavioural Addiction (e.g. alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, smoking, etc.) Chronic Stress Depression Dual Diagnosis Eating Disorders Mood Disorders (including Bipolar Disorder) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Personality Disorders (including Borderline Personality Disorder) Phobias Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Suicide & Self-harming Behaviours  The program addresses the following five core DBT modules: ​​ Mindfulness - Learn to focus more fully on the present moment and less on the painful past or worrisome future; Distress Tolerance​ - Learn to cope with painful events that hurt but cannot be changed, and learn how to have a crisis without making it worse; Emotion Regulation - Learn to relate to feelings in less reactive and destructive ways; Interpersonal Effectiveness​ - Learn to express beliefs and needs, set limits, and negotiate solutions to problems while protecting relationships and treating yourself and others respectfully; Meaning-making​ - Learn to identify values and what matters most in life, and to take action that is guided by these values.