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Robin Campbell, LMFT, PHD Many adults struggle with intense emotions, relationship conflict, self injury, substance dependence, or negative thoughts that affect day to day life.
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Many adults struggle with intense emotions, relationship conflict, self injury, substance dependence, or negative thoughts that affect day to day life. DBT therapy, also called dialectical behavior therapy DBT, is an evidence based form of cognitive behavioral treatment that combines mindfulness and acceptance with behavioral skills for people who experience intense emotions. Through dbt skills training, group therapy, individual therapy, and support from dbt therapists, adults can learn new skills that support mental well being, self respect, and positive changes in recovery. DBT was developed in the 1970s by psychologist Marsha Linehan to treat borderline personality disorder, and it is now also used for other mental health conditions including PTSD and substance use disorders.
DBT therapy, or dialectical behavior therapy, is a skills-based talk therapy that helps people manage intense emotions, reduce impulsive actions, and improve relationships. DBT focuses on four core skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. It may support adults with self-harm urges, BPD traits, trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use triggers, and relationship stress. Dialectical behavioural therapy was originally developed for intense emotional experience, and a comprehensive DBT program can help show how suitable DBT work may be when choosing the right therapy.
Mindfulness helps adults slow down and pay attention to what is happening in the present moment. Many people react automatically during stress, anger, shame, cravings, or emotional pain without realizing what triggered them. DBT mindfulness skills teach people how to notice physical sensations, thoughts, emotions, and urges before acting on them.
For adults with addiction, trauma, anxiety, depression, or BPD traits, mindfulness may help reduce impulsive behavior and emotional reactivity. It can also help people recognize early warning signs before substance use, self-harm, arguments, or emotional shutdown happen.
Distress tolerance skills help people get through intense emotional moments without making the situation worse. These skills may include grounding exercises, breathing techniques, distraction tools, self-soothing methods, and crisis planning for urges tied to self-harm, substance use, or emotional outbursts. Emotion regulation skills help people understand why emotions become overwhelming and how to respond more safely. DBT therapy may help adults reduce emotional extremes linked to anger, shame, panic, rejection, or fear while improving emotional stability over time.
Interpersonal effectiveness skills teach adults how to communicate clearly, ask for what they need, and set healthy boundaries. Many people with emotional dysregulation struggle with conflict, fear of rejection, people-pleasing, emotional withdrawal, or unstable relationships.
DBT therapy helps people practice assertiveness without aggression and improve communication during stressful conversations. A typical dbt program combines individual therapy with group skills training and often runs for six months to a year. These skills may help strengthen relationships across healthier family relationships, friendships, work interactions, and recovery support systems.
DBT therapy and CBT both help people change unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, but DBT focuses more on emotional regulation, crisis skills, and relationship stability. DBT was developed for chronic emotional distress, self-harm behaviors, and BPD traits.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, DBT uses structured coping skills for daily life. It is an evidence based treatment and effective treatment backed by behaviour research, where therapists work with an individual therapist, consultation team, and phone coaching to help people manage emotional distress, improve emotion regulation, reduce life threatening behaviors, and build self esteem in healthy ways.
DBT skills groups may help adults who feel emotionally overwhelmed, react impulsively, struggle with conflict, or use unhealthy coping behaviors during stress. People with BPD traits, trauma histories, anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, self-harm urges, or unstable relationships may benefit from DBT therapy. Adults in addiction recovery may also benefit when emotional triggers increase relapse risk. DBT-informed groups can support people who need structured coping tools while working through everyday stress, cravings, and relationship challenges.
DBT skills groups may help adults recovering from alcohol addiction, opioid addiction, methamphetamine use, cocaine addiction, benzodiazepine misuse, marijuana dependence, prescription drug misuse, and polysubstance use. Many people use substances to escape emotional pain, numb anxiety, reduce anger, cope with trauma, or manage relationship stress.
DBT therapy helps people build safer coping skills during cravings, emotional triggers, panic, shame, loneliness, and relapse risk situations. Skills like distress tolerance and emotion regulation may help reduce impulsive substance use while improving long-term recovery stability.
Emotional dysregulation is common across many mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder, PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. Research shows many adults experience difficulty managing emotions, especially during stress, conflict, trauma reminders, or relationship problems. BPD traits may include fear of abandonment, unstable relationships, impulsive behavior, mood instability, intense anger, self-harm urges, and emotional sensitivity. Many adults with emotional dysregulation also experience co-occurring addiction or mental health symptoms.
Short-Term:
Long-Term:
Untreated self-harm urges and impulsive coping can raise the risk of injury, relapse, suicidal thoughts, relationship damage, and emergency situations. DBT therapy helps people pause, use crisis skills, and choose safer coping steps.
DBT therapy can support adults with PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder traits, panic attacks, grief, anger issues, and substance use disorders. These conditions can make emotions feel intense, fast, and hard to control.
Family stress can also raise symptoms when conflict, shame, fear, or old trauma patterns repeat at home. DBT skills help adults name triggers, reduce emotional reactions, set boundaries, and use coping skills during hard conversations.
DBT helps people identify triggers before cravings turn into action. Triggers may include stress, trauma reminders, anger, loneliness, shame, pain, relationship conflict, or being around alcohol, opioids, meth, cocaine, marijuana, benzodiazepines, or other drugs.
DBT skills teach people how to tolerate cravings, delay impulsive choices, and return to the present moment. These skills can support relapse prevention when adults also follow a treatment plan, attend therapy, and build sober support.
DBT therapy may work best with IOP or outpatient care when symptoms affect daily life but do not require inpatient treatment. This level of care can support adults who need therapy, group support, relapse prevention, coping skills, and mental health treatment while living at home.
IOP may help when cravings, mood swings, anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms, or relationship stress make recovery harder. Outpatient care may fit people who need ongoing support after a higher level of care or structured help before symptoms worsen. Evidence from an Australian controlled trial in routine public mental health settings has also found DBT effective and cost-efficient.
Adults should look for DBT-informed groups that teach the four skills modules in a clear and structured way. The group should cover mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
It also helps to choose a program that understands addiction, trauma, self-harm urges, BPD traits, and co-occurring mental health conditions. A strong program should connect group skills to real recovery goals, relapse prevention, and daily life.
Seek help when emotions feel out of control, self-harm urges increase, substance use worsens, or mental health symptoms disrupt daily life. Call 988 or go to the ER if there is immediate danger.
Insurance may cover DBT therapy, IOP, outpatient care, addiction treatment, and mental health services when care is medically necessary. Coverage depends on the plan, provider network, deductible, copays, and prior authorization rules.
DBT therapy helps adults build skillful behaviors for stress, substance use triggers, self destructive behaviors, therapy interfering behaviors, and relationship challenges. DBT sessions may include skills training, interpersonal skills practice, individual treatment, group sessions, and other skills that support treatment goals. For adults with borderline personality disorder BPD traits, post traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, substance dependence, or other disorders, suitable DBT treatment can support healthier day to day life. If someone faces suicidal behavior, self injury, or an immediate crisis, call 988 or the Crisis Lifeline right away.
At New Hope Healthcare, as an in-network provider we work with most insurance plans, such as:
If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health challenges or substance abuse, seeking treatment and emotional support is crucial. Consulting a doctor can provide the necessary support and guidance for your teen. Reach out to New Hope Healthcare today. Our team of compassionate professionals is here to support your journey towards lasting well-being. Effective medication management is a crucial part of the treatment process to ensure safety and success. Give us a call at 866-799-0806.
Visit SAMHSA for more information.
DBT therapy is a skills-based form of therapy that helps people manage emotions, tolerate stress, improve relationships, and reduce harmful coping behaviors.
Adults with mood swings, self-harm urges, BPD traits, trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, or relationship conflict may benefit from DBT skills groups.
Yes. DBT therapy can help people manage cravings, triggers, impulsive choices, and emotional distress without returning to substance use.
The 4 main DBT skills are mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Yes. DBT teaches people how to identify emotions, reduce intense reactions, and choose safer responses during stressful moments.
No. DBT can also help with addiction, depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-harm urges, and emotional dysregulation.
](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/borderline-personality-disorder)
](https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/dialectical-behavior-therapy)
](https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/serious-mental-illness/co-occurring-disorders)
](https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD005652_psychological-therapies-borderline-personality-disorder)
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