a person talking to his doctor about dialectical behavior therapy Individuals struggling with substance use disorder need to have as many addiction treatment therapies as possible at their disposal. Because each individual will experience the disease of addiction differently, their road to recovery will be equally unique. This is why Sierra Sage Recovery Services makes it a point to offer a variety of therapeutic options. One of these is dialectical behavior therapy or DBT. This form of cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches clients mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Our dialectical behavioral therapy program helps clients manage stress, strong emotions, and interacting with others.

Goals of Our Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program

Our dialectical behavior therapy program focuses on helping clients build their support system. It is an approach that encourages family, friends, peers, colleagues, and others in a client’s circle to become involved. DBT works well in individual therapy but also in group and family counseling. Some of the goals of DBT include:

  • Develop new skills and strengths
  • Increase motivation
  • Acceptance of things an individual cannot change or exert control over
  • Appropriate adjustment to new facts and situations as they arise and develop
  • Mastering new, practical skills to help the client in real-world settings

DBT is designed to help clients improve their motivation and deepen their capacity to adapt to change.

Strategies Used in DBT

Counselors and therapists using dialectical behavior therapy have numerous strategies to teach and encourage behavioral change. The core techniques can include:

  • Mindfulness: Learning how to practice mindfulness, that is, being focused on the present, the here and now, instead of obsessing over the future, is a key component to DBT. Mindfulness practice includes meditation, but there are many ways to practice and gain control over your mind.
  • Interpersonal Effectiveness: Navigating difficult interpersonal situations requires learning effective skills. This is true for anyone regardless of whether they struggle with substance use disorder or mental health issues. Clients in our DBT program learn how to modulate the intensity with which they assert themselves. Thus, they work on mastering when it is appropriate and necessary to release or respond emotionally and with empathy or compassion for another. Clients learn how to assert themselves in healthy ways to maintain and improve their self-respect.
  • The Emotion Regulation: Specifically, this component deals with learning ways to manage emotions in different situations. Identifying feelings, determining how to align them appropriately, and, importantly, how to cope when you are unable to do so is a key element of DBT.
  • Distress Tolerance: Discovering how to handle stressful or triggering situations is a vital and useful part of any recovery therapy. Here clients master the tools and techniques to calm themselves when overwhelmed, manage ongoing stressful situations, and when and how to deploy problem-solving skills.

Each individual will have a unique experience in our dialectical behavior therapy program, but these general techniques will likely show up during treatment. As clients work through the program, their specific circumstances, needs, and issues will guide counselors and therapists.

Sierra Sage

Our dialectical behavior therapy program at Sierra Sage Recovery Services is just one aspect of our addiction treatment therapies designed to provide high-quality care for individuals struggling with a substance use disorder. Some of our other therapeutic services include:

Our goal is to ensure that our community members have the support they need to heal and recover. Sierra Sage Recovery Services, a Las Vegas Recovery Center subsidiary, takes an innovative and modern approach to treat substance use and co-existing mental health conditions. Reach out to us today to learn more at 702.880.8231 and find out how we can help you.