Understanding DBT-Informed Skills

Practical skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, was originally developed to help people who experience intense, hard-to-manage emotions. The word “dialectical” points to a core idea in this approach: holding two things that seem opposite at once, such as accepting yourself exactly as you are while also working toward change.

DBT was developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s, originally to treat chronic suicidality and what was then called borderline personality disorder. It has since been adapted for a wide range of emotional and behavioral concerns.

At Family Legacy Therapy, DBT-informed skills are integrated into individual treatment. Rather than a separate stand-alone program, these skills are woven into your sessions to give you concrete tools for the moments that feel hardest to manage.

How Does It Work?

DBT is organized around four skill areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Your therapist will help you learn and practice specific skills from these areas that match what you are working on, whether that is riding out a wave of intense emotion, communicating a need clearly, or staying grounded in the present moment.

These skills are practical and can be used in daily life, not just in session. Many clients find that practicing them consistently, between sessions as well as during them, is what makes the biggest difference over time.

What Can DBT-Informed Skills Help With?

  • Intense or overwhelming emotions

  • Difficulty tolerating distress without acting impulsively

  • Conflict or communication struggles in relationships

  • Difficulty staying present and grounded

  • Patterns of emotional reactivity that strain relationships

What to Expect in a Session

DBT-informed skills are introduced within your individual therapy sessions, alongside your broader treatment goals. Your therapist will teach specific skills, help you practice them, and check in on how they are working for you in real situations between sessions.

Is This Right for You?

Speak with your therapist to find out whether these skills may be helpful for you.

Questions? Contact us at (209) 659-3350 or visit familylegacytherapy.com to learn more or schedule an appointment.