Dialectical Behavior Therapy in New Jersey
At BlueCrest, we offer an evidence-based approach to treating addiction called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It has become one of the most studied forms of therapy and has accumulated evidence of its clinical effectiveness. This therapy can help clients gain control of their thoughts and behaviors, allowing them to cope with stress and avoid a relapse during treatment. When combined with other interventions, DBT often proves vital to maintaining lasting recovery and wellness.
Our counseling center in New ersey offers intensive outpatient and co-occurring rehab programs that feature DBT for addiction. Our dialectical behavior therapy services help individuals find healthier ways to cope with stressors in their lives and manage distressing symptoms associated with addiction. Contact us today to learn more about our addiction therapy services and begin your journey to sobriety.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and How Does It Work?
DBT was developed in the 1970s by Marsha Linehan, an American psychologist. It is sometimes considered part of the ‘third wave’ of cognitive-behavioral therapy, as it adapts CBT to help patients manage stress. The therapy combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques for emotion regulation and reality-testing with concepts of distress tolerance, acceptance, and mindful awereness.
Dialectical is widely used to treat substance use disorders. It can also address other mental health conditions that often co-occur with addiction, such as.
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
The Four DBT Skills: Core Components of DBT Treatment
DBT helps individuals learn how their thoughts and feelings influence their behavior, enabling them to make meaningful changes to improve their overall health and well-being. The therapy assists individuals in modifying damaging or self-defeating problematic behaviors, such as substance use, and replacing them with coping skills that can lead to long-term success in their sobriety journey.
Dialectical behavior therapy has four modules, which generally align with guidelines for establishing safety, distress tolerance, and social relations, as follows:
Mindfulness Skills and Techniques
Considered the core module of DBT, mindfulness techniques teach people to observe their activities and emotions before reacting immediately. It involves observing thoughts and feelings without judgment and operating in the present moment rather than being hijacked by the past or future. Mindfulness can be increased through deep breathing, meditation, or simply connecting with your experiences and surroundings.
Distress Tolerance Skills for Managing Crisis
Distress tolerance teaches people to manage stressfu situations without making them worse. Key skills include TIPP: Temperature (such as splashing cold water on your face), Intense exercise, Paced breathing, and Progressive muscle relaxation. The ACCEPTS skill is also used to help ride out waves of distress by focusing on Activities, Contributions, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushings away, Thoughts, and Sensations.
Emotion Regulation Skills and Emotional Regulation
This component of dialectical behavior therapy involves learning how to identify triggers and manage powerful emotions without resorting to drugs or alcohol. It requires accepting and understanding emotions without treating them as enemies. PLEASE skills are utilized to focus on treating Physical illness, balanced Eating, Avoiding mood-altering substances, balanced Sleep, and Exercise.
Interpersonal Skills Training for Healthy Relationships
This DBT work component helps individuals develop better interpersonal relationships. It focuses on the DEAR MAN framework: Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, stay Mindful, Appear confident, and Negotiate. Other skills integrated include GIVE – Give, Interested, Validate, Easy-manner, and FAST-Fair, no Apologies, Stick to values, Truthful.
Acceptance strategies
By utilizing these tools, individuals can more effectively manage the symptoms of addiction while becoming better equipped to stay sober long-term.
Life in Recovery Starts Here
Learn more about BlueCrest Counseling Center’s addiction treatment and how our outpatient programs can help you or a loved one find hope for the future by calling 888.477.8941.
Understanding DBT Skills Training: How You Learn and Practice
There are several ways to learn and practice DBT skills. They include:
Many readers use DBT worksheets and exercises between sessions with their therapist or as a self-study course. These are filled out daily to track urges, emotions, and skill use. They help therapists identify areas for improvement, making therapy more focused, and help clients identify patterns.
The therapist walks clients through a chain analysis, identify the causes of negative actions and emotions and helping them achieve better outcomes.
Skills are developed during talk therapy sessions, so clients learn deep-breathing and relaxing techniques. Role-playing is also often integrated.
Clients may be given assignment to practice DBT skills and record their outcomes in their diary cards.
Provides real-time support to help patients apply DBT skills during crises. It may be useful between sessions.
The skills training takes you through the stages of DBT: achieving behavioral control, emotional processing of past trauma, development of ordinary happiness and problem-solving, and cultivating the capacity for joy and success.
DBT for Borderline Personality Disorder and Co-Ocurring Conditions
People often use drugs and alcohol to calm symptoms of mental health conditions. Illicit substances may provide temporary relief, but they typically lead people on a downward spiral. They increase emotional dysregulation and worsen legal, personal, and professional issues.
When drug and alcohol use get out of hand, people develop co-occurring disorders. In addiction to the mental health disorder, they also develop a substance abuse disorder, potentially complicating treatment. A licensed mental health professional will typically target the underlying cause of addiction to treat both problems at their root.
Dialectical behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for co-occurring disorders, especially those that involve borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by emotional dysregulation, unstable relationships, impulsivity, and self-destructive behavior, but its use has now widened to a wide range of conditions, including depression and anxiety, as follows:
Anxiety
DBT helps people deal with anxiety without turning to drugs and alcohol.
Depression
PLEASE skills ensure individuals with depression treat themselves well, so their mood elevates.
PTSD and Trauma
Comprehensive DBT skills training develops emotional regulation and distress tolerance, making people more resilient to trauma.
Eating Disorders
Disordered eating can be another way to deal with stressors. DBT teaches people healthier ways to deal with their emotions.
Bipolar Disorder
The emotional regulation skills taught in DBT help soften the extreme highg and lows that are symptomatic of bipolar disoder.
Is DBT Right for You? When DBT Treatment Is Recommended
DBT may be right for you if you experience the following symptoms:
You experience emotions more intensely than your peers and have a hard time returning to baseline
DBT has been shown to reduce self-harming behaviors and suicidal ideation in patients.
Your relationships are characterized by fear of abandonment, conflict, and internal shifts.
DBT is effective in reducing psychiatric hospitalizations and treatment dropouts compared to usual treatment, making it an ideal alternative to standard CBT and other therapies.
Comprehensive Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders
BlueCrest Counseling Center specializes in treating clients with co-occurring mental health conditions, also known as dual diagnoses. Our approach includes:
Comprehensive assessments: Evaluations to identify both substance abuse and mental health issues.
Integrated treatment plans: Coordinated care that addresses both conditions simultaneously, ensuring a holistic approach to recovery.
Medication management: Supervised use of medications to manage mental health symptoms and support recovery.
Evidence-based therapies: Use of DBT, CBT, and other therapies to address co-occurring disorders.
Supportive services: Access to group therapy, family counseling, and other resources to support overall well-being.
Each client will receive a personalized treatment plan that includes a mix of therapies our experts identify as promising for recovery. This plan is developed during an initial interview, during which individuals discuss their personal, medical, substance use, and family histories with treatment professionals.
Comprehensive Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders
Comprehensive assessments
Evaluations to identify both substance abuse and mental health issues.
Integrated treatment plans
Coordinated care that addresses both conditions simultaneously, ensuring a holistic approach to recovery.
Medication management
Supervised use of medications to manage mental health symptoms and support recovery.
Evidence-based therapies
Use of DBT, CBT, and other therapies to address co-occurring disorders.
Supportive services
Access to group therapy, family counseling, and other resources to support overall well-being.
Individual DBT Therapy Sessions
During individual therapy sessions at BlueCrest, clients work one-on-one with a licensed DBT therapist to address their specific challeges and goals. These sessions typically include:
Psychiatric evaluation
An assessment to understand the client's mental health and substance abuse issues.
Personalized treatment plans
Tailored strategies to address the client's unique needs and treatment goals.
Evidence-based treatments
Use of therapies such as DBT, CBT, and REBT to promote recovery.
Skill building
Developing coping mechanisms, emotion regulation skills, and mindfulness practices.
Progress monitoring
Regular reviews to assess the client's progress and adjust the treatment plan as needed.
The comprehensive approach we take at BlueCrest Counseling Center gives our clients the tools they need to achieve long-term recovery and build a fulfilling, sober life. Our experienced professionals are dedicated to helping individuals overcome addiction and find hope for their futures.
Individualized Therapy Sessions
Psychiatric evaluation
An assessment to understand the client’s mental health and substance abuse issues.
Personalized treatment plans
Tailored strategies to address the client’s unique needs and treatment goals.
Evidence-based treatments
Use of therapies such as DBT, CBT, and REBT to promote recovery.
Skill building
Developing coping mechanisms, emotion regulation skills, and mindfulness practices.
Progress monitoring
Regular reviews to assess the client’s progress and adjust the treatment plan as needed.
Group Therapy Benefits
- Peer support: Building a supportive community with others facing similar challenges.
- Skill development: Learning and practicing new coping skills in a group setting.
- Perspective sharing: Gaining insights from the experiences of others.
- Accountability: Encouraging personal responsibility and progress.
- Interpersonal skills: Improving communication and relationship-building abilities
What to Expect in DBT Therapy Sessions
If you have never used DBT therapy before, you may be unsure what to expect. Here is a general outline of how treatment goes:
Initial Assessment
During the first session, the therapist wil assess your mental health needs and goals and discuss DBT techniques to be integrated into treatment.
Structure
Sessions are typically 50 to 60 minutes. The therapist will start by reviewing the client’s diary card and focus on the most significant events from the past week. Clients may also role-play and practice skills during the session.
Group Sessions
A DBT group therapy program is typically more structured than other group sessions, allowing members to practice mindfulness, learn from one another’s experiences, and practice skills on one another.
Adolescent DBT Programs
Condensed Skill Curriculum
Standard adult DBT typically runs for 16 to 24 weeks. Teen DBT runs no more than 16 weeks, based on what teens can absorb.
Fifth Module Added
An additional module is added to address the push and pull between dependence and independence that is often present in teens. Kids are taught how to think dialectically rather than in all-or-nothing terms to navigate specific conflicts.
Family Involvement is Essential
While adult DBT may include family involvement, it's essential in teen treatment. Parents may attend skills groups alongside their child or attend a concurrent parent group.
The Therapist Takes a More Active Role
In adult DBT, clients are given greater autonomy in navigating treatment. With a teen approach, the therapist takes a more direct role, structuring therapy sessions to achieve specific outcomes.
School and Peer Systems are Part of the Clinical Picture
Teen treatment typically involves collaboration with school counselors to ensure a conducive school environment for healing.
DBT may differ when designed for teens, as follows:
Adolescent DBT Programs
DBT may differ when designed for teens, as follows:
Condensed Skill Curriculum: Standard adult DBT typically runs for 16 to 24 weeks. Teen DBT runs no more than 16 weeks, based on what teens can absorb.
Fifth Module Added: An additional module is added to address the push and pull between dependence and independence that is often present in teens. Kids are taught how to think dialectically rather than in all-or-nothing terms to navigate specific conflicts.
Family Involvement is Essential: While adult DBT may include family involvement, it’s essential in teen treatment. Parents may attend skills groups alongside their child or attend a concurrent parent group.
The Therapist Takes a More Active Role: In adult DBT, clients are given greater autonomy in navigating treatment. With a teen approach, the therapist takes a more direct role, structuring therapy sessions to achieve specific outcomes.
School and Peer Systems are Part of the Clinical Picture: Teen treatment typically involves collaboration with school counselors to ensure a conducive school environment for healing.
Getting Started with DBT at BlueCrest
The admissions process at BlueCrest is designed to be as smooth and supportive as possible. It includes:
Phone Consultation
An initial discussion to understand the client’s needs and determine the appropiate level of care
Comprehensive assessments
Detailed evaluations to develop a personalized treatment plan.
Psychological assessments
In-depth analysis to identify underlying mental health conditions.
BlueCrest Recovery's Rehab Treatment
At BlueCrest, we offer a wide variety of rehab treatment programs designed to meet our clients’ needs. In addiction to DBT, we provide the following forms of therapy.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Anxiety treatment
- Depression treatment
- Family therapy and counseling
- Depression treatment
- Group therapy
- Meditative therapy
- Motivational interviewing therapy
- Person-centered therapy
- Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
- Relapse prevention therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Yoga therapy
Our comprehensive care approach ensures that each client receives individualized treatment plans tailored to their needs. This includes medication management, Individual therapy sessions, and group therapy sessions. Our clinical team, comprising licensed clinicians and DBT-trained therapists, works collaboratively to develop personalized treatment plans and set treatment goals that address both addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Treatment Tiers at BlueCrest Recovery
BlueCrest Recovery offers treatment tiers that start with partial care and move to intensive care and outpatient care as clients stabilize. We continue to support them with aftercare to ensure sobriety maintenance. Here’s what our program includes:
A Partial Care Program (PCP) provides intensive treatment while allowing clients to return home at night. This level of care is suitable for individuals who require substantial support, have a stable living environment, and can maintain a daily routine.
An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offers clients flexibility to receive treatment while maintaining their daily responsibilities, such as work or school. This level of care is designed for individuals who need structured support but can manage their day-to-day activities outside of a residential setting. BlueCrest provides clients with the support and therapy they need to aid their recovery while they continue their regular activities.
Outpatient programs provide ongoing support and therapy for those transitioning from higher levels of care. They are essential for clients who have completed more intensive programs and need continuous therapy and support to maintain their recovery.
These various levels of care ensure that each client can find a treatment plan that best suits their needs and lifestyle, promoting a more effective and sustainable recovery journey.
Seek Dialectical Behavior Therapy Services at BlueCrest
If you need New Jersey dialectical behavior therapy services, contact BlueCrest. Our intensive outpatient and co-occurring rehab programs offer clients a wide range of highly specialized approaches to healing that consider the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of recovery. We offer comprehensive and effective treatment for addiction that can help you live a more fulfilling life.
At BlueCrest Counseling Center, we strive to create a safe and supportive environment where our clients feel empowered to work toward lasting change. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out today at 888.477.8941 or complete our online form to take the first steps toward health and well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
DBT works by helping people develop a mindful approach to their emotions, supporting emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Individual and group sessions are implemented to review how new skills have been developed throughout the week, and involve role-playing and skills training.
The four core DBT skills are emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal skills training. They help people deal with their emotions in a healthy manner and develop better relationships with others.
DBT can treat various conditions besides BPD, including major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, and bipolar disorder.
Both individual and group DBT sessions review emotional regulation throughout the week and involve role-playing and skills practice. However, in a group setting, you can practice skills on others and learn from their experiences. Individual therapy is more focused on the client and tailored to their needs.
DBT skills training typically takes around six months to complete, but many individuals may spend a year or longer in a DBT program. Sessions are 50-60 minutes.
Yes, BlueCrest offers DBT for adolescents and teens. We offer a customized approach based on our clients’ lifestyles, goals, and mental health conditions.
DBT therapy is generally recommended for people who have issues with emotional regulation and relationships and engage in self-harming behaviors.