Emotion regulation training – DBT skills

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) was developed for people who experience emotions faster, more intensely and for longer than others – and today it is one of the most thoroughly researched methods of working with emotional dysregulation. At its heart is group skills training: specific tools, practised step by step and grouped into four modules.

The mindfulness module teaches you to notice emotions before they take control. The emotion regulation module – to understand where emotions come from and to lower their intensity. The distress tolerance module – to get through a crisis without actions that make things worse (outbursts, impulsive decisions, reaching for alcohol or other substances). The interpersonal effectiveness module – to look after your needs without destroying relationships. Each session means learning a skill and discussing how to use it in practice between sessions.

The group is led by a psychotherapist who works in the DBT approach. Skills training can stand on its own or complement individual therapy – for people with intense difficulties (e.g. self-harm, borderline personality disorder) we recommend combining the two; we will help you decide during the initial conversation.