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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
DBT is especially helpful for individuals who experience emotional sensitivity, rapid mood shifts, difficulty regulating emotions, or patterns that feel overwhelming or hard to control
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy in Toronto and across Ontario
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, commonly known as DBT, is an evidence-based therapy designed to help people manage intense emotions, reduce distress, and improve relationships. DBT is based on the idea that two things can be true at the same time. You can be doing the best you can, and you can also be working toward change.
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DBT is especially helpful for individuals who experience emotional sensitivity, rapid mood shifts, difficulty regulating emotions, or patterns that feel overwhelming or hard to control.
How DBT works
DBT focuses on helping you build skills to navigate emotional intensity while also increasing self-understanding and acceptance. Rather than judging emotional reactions, DBT works to understand why they happen and how to respond to them more effectively.
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Therapy balances validation and change. This means your experiences are taken seriously while also working toward practical strategies that reduce suffering and improve day-to-day functioning.
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DBT is structured and skills-based, but it is also relational and collaborative.
Core areas of DBT
DBT focuses on developing skills in several key areas that support emotional and relational wellbeing.
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Emotional regulation skills help you better understand and manage intense emotions rather than feeling controlled by them.
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Distress tolerance skills support getting through moments of emotional crisis without making things worse.
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Interpersonal effectiveness skills focus on communicating needs, setting boundaries, and navigating relationships more effectively.
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Mindfulness skills help increase awareness of thoughts, emotions, and body sensations in the present moment.
These skills are introduced gradually and adapted to your needs and goals.
What DBT looks like in therapy
In DBT-informed therapy, sessions involve understanding emotional patterns, practicing skills, and applying them to real-life situations. Therapy is active and collaborative, with space for reflection, learning, and growth.
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DBT is not about suppressing emotions or forcing calm. It is about learning how to feel emotions without being overwhelmed by them.
DBT at Hedefa Psychology Clinic
At Hedefa Psychology Clinic, DBT is offered within a trauma-informed and integrative framework. Skills are taught with compassion and flexibility rather than rigidity.
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DBT is often combined with CBT, ACT, psychodynamic, and emotion-focused approaches to support both symptom management and deeper emotional work. Therapy is paced according to your readiness and lived experience.
