In our San Francisco DBT therapy practice, we often see clients who wonder if DBT is right for them. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is effective for a range of problems, but works particularly well for people who struggle with emotional dysregulation. What is emotional dysregulation? Emotional dysregulation doesn’t just mean that you experience your…
As a San Francisco DBT therapist, I often see clients who feel like their emotions are out of control. These same clients tend to struggle with impulsive behaviors as well. If you relate to feeling very emotional and impulsive, the biosocial theory of emotional dysregulation in DBT provides a framework that can shed light on…
If your emotions sometimes feel out of control and you struggle with impulsive behaviors, you may relate to DBT’s explanation of emotional sensitivity called the biosocial theory. What is the Biosocial Theory in DBT? The biosocial theory helps explain why some people struggle with controlling their emotions and actions by looking at both biology…
The “What” skills of Mindfulness in DBT In the last two posts, I explored the first two “What” skills of mindfulness in DBT, Observe and Describe. To review quickly, the “What” skills teach you what to actually do to practice mindfulness, and you practice each “What” skill one at a time. The “What” skills are:…
The “What” skills of mindfulness in DBT In last week’s post, I explained the first “What” skill of mindfulness in DBT, which is Observe. Now I am going to explain the second “What” skill, which is Describe. The Describe Mindfulness Skill Describe builds on Observe. Observe is just bare-bones attention – noticing without adding…
In our last post, we explored the power of mindfulness. Now that you know the benefits of mindfulness, you may be wondering what you should do to be mindful. DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, teaches you what to actually do to practice mindfulness and how to do it. These are called the “What” and “How”…
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose to what is happening right now. When you practice mindfulness, you focus your attention on your present experience; just noticing whatever is happening in each moment, not lost in the past or thinking about the future. Mindfulness is the opposite of being on automatic pilot. When…
What is Wise Mind? Wise Mind is a foundational DBT concept. Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an evidence-based therapy that was originally created to help people who feel overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions. The concept of Wise Mind, though, can be beneficial to everyone. Wise Mind is an internal state of wisdom, or knowledge.…
As a San Francisco couple’s therapist, I regularly see couples that have gotten so busy with every day life that they’ve put their relationship on the back burner, where it sits, ignored. It’s easy to prioritize everything else – work, school, family and socializing – the list could go on and on. But prioritizing your…
Is your relationship unbalanced? Do you give too much in your relationship? Are you the only one putting out energy to keep the relationship on track? Do you sometimes wish that your partner gave to you half as much as you give to them? If so, your relationship is out of balance. An unbalanced…