Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Los Angeles, California

Beneath the warm sunshine of Los Angeles, you will find that over a million residents are quietly battling substance use, anxiety, mood swings, and overwhelming emotions. The fast pace of the city often masks these struggles, making it difficult to slow down, reach out, or cope in healthier ways. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps regulate these overwhelming emotions and destructive behaviors that can otherwise leave a deep impact on your life. Even beyond this, DBT teaches you skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness that you can use to reduce the stresses and conflicts of daily life.

If this speaks to your present challenges with substance use, mental health struggles, or just everyday stressors, then NuView’s DBT in Los Angeles may be the right place to begin your healing journey.

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a cognitive-behavioral technique that incorporates the concepts of acceptance and mindfulness to help you manage emotions, navigate conflict, set boundaries, and gain a sense of control over your experiences and reactions.

DBT was initially developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. However, given its wide applicability and effectiveness, it has been used to treat a broad range of substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Linda Whiteside, Clinical Supervisor at the NuView Treatment Center, says that, ,“At our Los Angeles facility, we have seen that DBT can make a meaningful difference for those struggling with substance use, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-harm behaviors.”

The practice of DBT is rooted in four core skills, which are as follows:

I. Mindfulness - Mindfulness practices teach you to be in the here and now - in the present moment, so that you become aware of your thoughts and emotions - observe them without judgment.

II. Distress Tolerance - Distress tolerance develops skills that help you deal with difficult emotions and circumstances. It helps you handle crises with resilience.

III. Emotion Regulation - With emotion regulation, you learn to control your emotions by changing unproductive emotions, reducing the intensity of negative emotions, and creating positive emotions.

IV. Interpersonal Effectiveness - Interpersonal effectiveness lets you manage your relationships by improving your communication, drawing healthy boundaries, managing conflicts, and creating productive relationships.

DBT is especially effective because it is not just a theory; it focuses on developing real-time tools and skills you can practice every day to reclaim control over your life from substance misuse and mental health concerns.

DBT therapy structures each session around self-exploration and skill-teaching, which is why it can be very effective in dealing with stress, managing emotions, and navigating the challenges of everyday life.

Here are some of the commonly recognizable aspects of a DBT session:

• The focus is on the four core skills, and each skill has ten lessons.
• Each lesson has a learning component, which takes about five minutes.
• Each lesson is followed by an exercise and worksheets that teach coping strategies in a systematic manner. This takes about ten minutes.
• You repeat these exercises every few times in a week, especially those ones you find useful.
• You typically begin with mindfulness to track emotions and identify your triggers and patterns.
• You then move to distress tolerance skills so that you can cope with the painful circumstances.
• You role-play everyday conversations and events so that you can practice your communication skills and build interpersonal effectiveness.
• You explore ways to find acceptance - acknowledging your reality so that you can move past negativity and toward sustainable change.

Linda Whiteside says, “DBT is not one of those therapies that dwells too much on your past. It is a proactive therapy that teaches you the skills you need to lay the groundwork for your healthier, purposeful future.”

DBT is made up of four modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Each of these modules has real-life applications that you can begin with today:

Mindfulness:

• You can use the STOP skill - which is to stop, take a step back, observe, and proceed mindfully.
• You use the “What” - what is it you observe and participate in, and “How” - by being non-judgmental and effective.

Distress Tolerance:

• You can accept the reality without denying it - you do not have to like it, but you do not have to fight it either.
• You can engage in self-soothing by using your five senses.
• You can distract yourself by using wise mind practice - that is, you integrate your emotional mind and rational mind to achieve harmony.
• Before acting, you weigh the pros and cons of the behavior instead of impulsively acting on it.

Emotion Regulation:

• You identify and label your emotions.
• You can use the opposite action technique - which is choosing behaviors that counter what your emotions are urging you to do.
• You proactively build positive emotions.

Interpersonal Effectiveness:

- DEAR MAN communication technique -

• Describe - stick to the facts.
• Express - you share how you feel; you can use “I” statements.
• Assert - you will be direct in telling what you want or expect.
• Reinforce - you explain your assertions.
• Mindful - you stay focused on the topic.
• Appear confident - you maintain eye contact and a steady body language.
• Negotiate - you are willing to compromise in a way that is a win-win for both sides.

- The other two communication techniques are - GIVE (Gentle, Interested, Validate, Easy manner) and FAST (Fair, Apologies, Stick to values, Truthful). These can be used depending on the context.

Substance use is a growing concern in Los Angeles County. Even as we speak, there are an estimated 1,482,000 residents struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD) in the county. Even more so, substance use does not occur in isolation. Nearly 33% of the time, it co-occurs with other mental health conditions.

This is why DBT as a therapy is so crucial, as it is used along with cognitive behavioral therapy, medication management, and peer support to treat a dual diagnosis of both substance use and mental health disorders. It is vital that we treat both these conditions simultaneously for a well-rounded recovery.

Whether you are battling substance use and mental health conditions or need to develop tools to navigate the challenges of everyday life, NuView offers trusted dialectical behavior therapy in Los Angeles so that you can learn and heal in a safe, supportive setting.

We provide DBT in PHP, IOP, outpatient, and telehealth settings, wherein you can receive expansive, personalized services, as you build a life you are willing to embrace.

Please do not hesitate to call us at (323) 307-7997 to connect with our DBT experts today!

1. What is dialectical behavior therapy?

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a skill-building therapy that focuses on radical acceptance and teaching everyday skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness to better manage your emotions, behaviors, and relationships.

2. What is DBT used to treat?

Initially, DBT was developed to treat borderline personality disorder, but now its effectiveness has made it a cornerstone therapy in the treatment of substance use, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-harm behaviors.

3. Can DBT cure substance use and mental health disorders?

DBT can provide you with the tools and skills you need to effectively manage substance use and mental health disorders.

4. How long does DBT typically last?

The time taken to complete DBT can vary - typically, it may take 6 months, for some, it may even take a year.

5. Where can I find dialectical behavior therapy in Los Angeles?

To find DBT therapy in Los Angeles, you can contact your primary healthcare provider, family, or friends for references. You can also call NuView at (323) 307-7997, and we can match you with trusted DBT therapists in Los Angeles who can tailor the therapeutic experience to your needs and goals.

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6007584/
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dialectical-behavior-therapy-what-is-it-and-who-can-it-help-202401223009
• https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/
• https://www.recoverla.org/sud_101/substance-use-in-la-county/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9955022/
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24426-dual-diagnosis