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Learn more about DBT: Dialectical behaviour therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a structured form of talking therapy that teaches practical skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships. It grew out of cognitive behavioural therapy and was originally developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan for people who experience emotions very strongly and struggle to regulate them. The word "dialectical" points to its central balance: accepting yourself as you are, while also working to change the patterns that cause you difficulty.
DBT is usually more structured than open-ended talking therapy. It combines individual sessions with skills training, often delivered in a group, and follows a defined curriculum rather than a free-form conversation.
DBT is built around four skills modules that your therapist works through with you, either one-to-one or in a group alongside individual sessions. The aim is to give you concrete tools you can use in daily life, not just insight.
The four modules are:
- Mindfulness. Noticing your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in the present moment without judging them, which underpins the other skills.
- Distress tolerance. Getting through crises and painful moments without making things worse, rather than trying to escape or suppress the feeling.
- Emotion regulation. Recognising, understanding, and influencing strong emotions so they are less overwhelming.
- Interpersonal effectiveness. Communicating needs, setting boundaries, and handling conflict while keeping self-respect and relationships intact.
DBT is most useful where difficulty regulating emotions drives distress, impulsive behaviour, or conflict in relationships. It was first developed for people with very intense emotions and has since been adapted for a range of related difficulties.
- Borderline personality disorder: DBT was originally developed for borderline personality disorder and remains the most established therapy for it. Expect structured work on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and reducing self-destructive patterns, usually combining individual sessions with skills training.
- Anger: DBT gives you tools to notice anger building and respond before it escalates, using distress tolerance and interpersonal skills. Expect practical work on managing the moment and communicating without damaging relationships.
- Addictions: DBT helps you tolerate cravings and difficult feelings without acting on them, and build a life that competes with the pull of the addiction. It is often used alongside other addiction support rather than on its own.
- Anorexia: DBT can support the emotion regulation side of an eating difficulty, helping you sit with distress without using restriction to cope. It works alongside specialist eating disorder treatment and medical oversight, not as a standalone treatment.
- Avoidant personality disorder: DBT's interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance skills can help you approach social situations you would otherwise avoid. Expect gradual, skills-based work on tolerating discomfort in relationships.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set.
DBT is a demanding, multi-part therapy, and finding a practitioner genuinely trained in it can be harder than finding general talking therapy. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a therapist who uses Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, or browse the directory.
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