Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Emotional Self-regulation

DBT is a hybrid of different therapies and techniques, but it mostly originated within the Cognitive-Behavioral approach. DBT uses the CBT techniques in a much more flexible and less judgmental way, and it also adds Mindfulness, skill-building and acceptance techniques.

The main focus of DBT is help client develop a strong internal emotional self-regulation, which will allow the client to modulate intense emotions, reducing the intensity of painful emotions or make them go away altogether.

People who are unable to internally regulate their emotions they may find identifying emotions quite difficult, they may struggle to understand why they are feeling a certain way or how to express their emotions effectively.

Whether you were genetically predisposed to experience emotional vulnerability or grew up in an emotionally invalidating environment (or maybe both), you may find yourself like a leaf on the wind. Your emotions have completely taken charge of your life and you feel helplessly at their mercy.

Developing a strong internal self-regulation system will change the emotional dynamic. You will be in charge. DBT can help you progressively become proficient in consciously managing the experience and expression of your emotions.