What makes your life worth living? This is the first post in a series of three, about Building a Life Worth Living in DBT Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has a catchphrase: “Building Lives Worth Living.” This phrase is used because some people come to DBT at the end of their rope, struggling with thoughts of…
Do you find practicing mindfulness challenging? You’re not alone. Mindfulness is the foundational skill of DBT. Mindfulness helps reduce emotional suffering and reactivity. Mindfulness helps you feel more in control of particular thoughts and emotions that may make you feel like you’re out of control. Mindfulness is counter-culture. It requires you to slow down and…
“Does Couples Therapy Work?” As couples therapists in San Francisco, we often hear this question. The answer, like many things in life (and especially in therapy), isn’t straightforward. First, let’s define what couples therapy “working” means. Does it mean that you will: Never fight with your partner again? No. Learn how to fight smarter? Yes.…
I am not OK As San Francisco therapists specializing in DBT and couples therapy, we work with a lot of people who worry that at their core, they are not OK. The feeling of not being ok can sound like: I am a mess. I am f***ed up. I am not enough. I am unlikable.…
Losing control during your relationship conflicts? Couples Therapy can help you. As San Francisco DBT therapists with expertise in couples therapy, we work with many couples who struggle with losing control during conflict. If you lose control when you and your partner experience conflict or have a disagreement, it’s not because you’re a bad person…
Wondering if it’s time for you to start couples therapy in San Francisco? Couples often think about starting therapy for a while before they take the leap and set up that first appointment. Sometimes, couples wait too long. Old hurts and resentments can’t be healed. Or you’ve grown so far apart; it’s impossible to connect…
In Part 1 of DBT’s mindfulness skills, we looked at the first of the HOW skills of mindfulness – nonjudgmentally. Mindfulness in DBT is broken up into WHAT and HOW skills The WHAT skills are what you do to be mindful. You: • Observe • Describe • Participate The HOW skills of mindfulness are how…
The Mindfulness skills of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teach you how to be present in each moment, with awareness and without judgment. Mindfulness skills are broken up into 2 sets: DBT WHAT skills: What you do to practice mindfulness. These skills are practiced one at a time: • Observe • Describe • Participate DBT HOW…
Mindfulness is the core skill of DBT. It’s the first skill taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group, and it is the only skill that we return to again and again, reviewing the key concepts of mindfulness between each DBT skill module. How to be Mindful Pay attention to the present moment. On purpose. Without…
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that helps people who struggle with emotional dysregulation. This post will answer common questions about DBT. But first, let’s start by describing what emotional dysregulation looks like. How DBT defines emotional dysregulation: People who have a hard time regulating their emotions can either be overwhelmed by…