DBT Arizona Programs

The Effective Use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy at Catalina

Substance abuse and mental health issues don’t discriminate; they affect people from all walks of life. In the United States – including in Arizona – these challenges have reached alarming levels. Not only is it essential to recognize the gravity of this situation but also to understand any available treatments which could make a real difference for those affected.

One promising approach to addressing these co-occurring issues is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), also often referred to as dialectical behavioral therapy. This evidence-based treatment and DBT Arizona programs aim to empower individuals to manage their emotions and create lasting, positive change.

For more information about mental health and substance abuse issues and how Catalina Behavioral Health can help you with proven DBT Arizona services, keep reading!

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of psychotherapy that combines cognitive behavioral therapy techniques with mindfulness strategies. Initially designed to help people suffering from borderline personality disorder, it has now been adapted for various other conditions related to emotional regulation.

The primary goal of dialectical behavioral therapy is promoting balance and reducing extreme fluctuation in emotions. It achieves this by blending acceptance—the ability to experience situations without trying to change them— with change-oriented strategies, which teach you new skills on managing pain, reducing conflict in relationships, and gaining more control over your emotions.

It is often used to help people who struggle with mental illness and substance abuse issues.

The Process of Dialectical Behavior Therapy

In the framework of DBT therapy, therapists are equipped to guide you in acquiring new abilities suited for more effective emotion regulation. This process typically involves several steps:

Pre-Assessment

To initiate, a DBT pre-assessment is performed. This fundamental evaluation determines whether this particular therapy fits well with your needs. If you’re struggling with substance abuse, BPD, post-traumatic stress disorder, or self-harm, among other things, DBT therapy may be a good option for you.

Individual Therapy

Upon concluding that it’s indeed suitable, individual therapy commences. Here, weekly sessions lasting between 40 to 60 minutes are attended. One of the priorities is providing help while ensuring personal safety as well as addressing any behaviors interfering with therapeutic progress.

Building a trusting therapeutic relationship is essential for this type of therapy.

DBT Skills Group Therapy

Additionally, you will have the opportunity to attend group skills training wherein critical life skills and coping skills will be taught. The chance to learn skills in a DBT group setting is particularly powerful, as we can personally test the ways we interact with and treat people, and adapt and respond to improve relationships with others.

The Four Primary DBT Skills Learned in DBT Skills Groups

1) Mindfulness

DBT provides invaluable teachings to help you navigate through life’s bumps along the way. One cornerstone of this method is mindfulness, which advocates for being fully tuned into the present moment rather than worrying about past or future scenarios.

2) Distress Tolerance

Next on the list is distress tolerance. Learning skill related to distress tolerance equips you with strategies to cope under pressure when situations get tough. Thus, emotional pressure does not lead you to make hasty decisions that do not serve your long-term interests.

3) Interpersonal Effectiveness

Understanding and executing healthy interactions becomes easier as DBT helps improve interpersonal effectiveness. It assists in nurturing healthy relationships by emphasizing respectful communication, boundary-setting, and knowing how to assert yourself politely yet firmly.

4) Emotional Regulation

Last but certainly not least, emotion regulation gets tackled. This is learning to have control over your feelings instead of feeling engulfed and as if they have control over you.  It can help you understand and manage your moods and regulate emotions.

Skills That You May Learn For Distress Tolerance and Emotional Regulation

One prime example is TIPP, a powerful DBT technique used to handle extreme emotional distress and to use for emotional regulation. Keep reading to learn more about each component:

Temperature: This tactic involves manipulating your body temperature. For example, immersing your face in cold water or taking a cool shower can help decrease physiological arousal and calm an overactive nervous system.

Intense Exercise: Engaging in high-intensity physical activity helps drain off excess energy often associated with intense emotions, enabling calming effects thereafter. 

Paced Breathing: Gaining control over your breathing is a simple and effective strategy to help manage emotional discomfort. One technique is box breathing—a structured method involving sequences where you inhale, hold your breath, exhale, and again hold it; each phase lasting four seconds.

 Continue to focus on your breathing until you feel more calm.

Paired Muscle Relaxation: This involves a two-step process where you actively tense specific muscles and then consciously let them relax. When you release the tension, the muscles become even more relaxed than before.

This method of deep relaxation aids in slowing down your breathing and heart rates as it lessens the need for oxygen within those muscles. 

What Are DBT Arizona Programs Used to Treat?

DBT is a powerful tool that aids individuals dealing with trauma as well as drug and alcohol addiction, as it aims to equip clients with strategies that promote healthier behaviors and mindsets. This method was cultivated by Dr. Marsha M Linehan primarily to help individuals in their pursuit of crafting a life surrounded around contentment rather than despair.

DBT suggests that those who incline towards self-destructive behaviors – including substance abuse – are actually grappling with a lack of necessary skills to tackle their issues in a healthy way. DBT skills help foster awareness of how to create a safe and supportive environment, both internally and externally.

Such skills also help tolerate painful emotions that often lead to substance abuse, and can assist in the development of greater self-esteem, communication skills, and healthy boundaries.

Harnessing the power of DBT can aid those wrestling with these struggles, as it provides valuable new skills specifically designed to promote abstinence from drug and alcohol abuse. Not only do these teachings enhance your ability to attain long-term sobriety, but they also bolster tolerance for change—an essential trait when embarking on the journey toward long-term sobriety.

Get DBT Treatment Options at Catalina Today 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) stands as a crucial and potent tool in the navigation of unprecedented life challenges. With its roots grounded in encouraging acceptance while simultaneously promoting change, DBT’s balanced methodology targets those with mental health issues, substance abuse, eating disorders, and more.

When in need of help navigating your mental health journey, making that call to Catalina Behavioral Health can make all the difference. With a team of compassionate and skilled professionals dedicated to employing effective therapeutic approaches—like DBT— you stand a better chance at recovery.

All calls to our facility are confidential, so please reach out to get options for support today!