Read the following statements and notice if any of these myths are part of your inner dialogue right now: It’s selfish to ask for what I want or need. Other people should just know what I want or need. I shouldn’t have to ask for what I want. If I have to ask for what…
What is emotional dysregulation? Emotional dysregulation is a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) term used to describe a core problem many people face – difficulty in managing emotions. If you’re emotionally dysregulated, you have a lot of strong emotions that come on quickly and take a while to pass. You say and do things when you’re…
As a San Francisco DBT therapist, I work with people who have a hard time managing their emotions. You might describe this as having emotions that are too big or too small (you feel too much or too little). Emotions that are too big happen fast, are overwhelming and can take a long time to…
As a San Francisco couples therapist, I often see couples that want to work on their communication. After all, good communication between partners is the foundation for building a strong relationship. If communicating with your partner leads to disagreements or shut downs, both of you could benefit from learning to communicate more effectively. There are…
I first covered DBT’s Mindfulness practice in a previous post. It’s such a critical component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy the topic deserves some more coverage. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the ability to notice your thoughts, feelings, sensations and impulses without judging yourself or trying to change anything. When you’re mindful, you can access…
Feeling frustrated with how slowly things are changing in your relationship? The truth is that change is often slow when you’re trying to work on your relationship, which can be discouraging. You may wonder if couples therapy is even working. Why change is slow in couples therapy Why isn’t my relationship changing faster? Let’s…
As a San Francisco DBT therapist, I work with plenty of people who struggle with controlling their actions when they’re upset. If you’ve tried to stop any kind of compulsive behavior, you know how hard it is to NOT do the thing you are trying not to do when you’re emotional. It’s hard to…
What is a crisis in DBT? A crisis in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is defined as a temporary situation that is making you feel awful and in danger of acting in ways that you’ll later regret. You may be feeling sadness, anger or really overwhelmed with life in general. Whatever the feeling, it’s super painful.…
Do you sometimes treat your partner in ways you would never dream of treating a friend, even a very close friend? Have you ever found yourself yelling, criticizing or giving your partner the silent treatment? Do you later regret how you’ve acted? Why is it that you can treat the person you love the most…
What is DBT and is it right for you? So, what is DBT? Have you heard about this type of therapy? Are you wondering if DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is the right treatment for you? This video offers a great, brief explanation of what DBT looks like in action and how it differs from…