"Acceptance & Change"
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills Program
*Facilitated by DBT trained therapist, Bree Rhodes*
Seeking help for self-destructive behaviours? Struggling with overwhelming emotions? Would you like your relationships to be healthier? I offer a 13-session program for clients that teaches Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills in an integrative and applicable manner.
Could your significant other benefit from learning similar skills that are tailored to their needs?
​What is DBT?
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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, look at our thinking, and choose new ways to cope, live, and grow.
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​What does "dialectical" mean?
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The word 'dialectical' refers to 'dialectics,' which in DBT means making room for our conflicting needs and wants in our emotional and mental worlds. It is like making peace with both acceptance and change. 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.​
How can DBT help me?

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 these five skills:
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Mindfulness
To focus more fully on the present moment and less on the painful past or worrisome future
Distress Tolerance​
To cope with painful events that hurt but cannot be changed
Emotion Regulation​
To relate to feelings in less reactive and destructive ways
Interpersonal Effectiveness​
To express beliefs and needs, set limits, and negotiate solutions to problems while protecting relationships and treating yourself and others respectfully

Meaning-making​
To identify values and what matters most in life, and to take action that is guided by these values
Recommended DBT books and resources:

Depressed & Anxious: The Dialectical Behavior Therapy​ Workbook for Overcoming Depression & Anxiety by Thomas Marra, PhD
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by Matthew KcKay, PhD, Jeffrey C. Wood, Psy.D, Jeffrey Brantley, MD
The Stress Response: How dialectical behavior therapy can free you from needless anxiety, worry, anger, & other symptoms of stress by Christy Matta, MA
Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Private Practice by Thomas Marra, PhD*

*This is written for clinical use by professional practitioners.
The following links have useful resources that cater to experiential learning and practice of DBT. Click on the link for more information:

Marsha Linehan resource pages:
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

DBT resource pages:
Wikipedia - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy