Is Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for Me?
At Toronto Psychology & Wellness Group, we offer Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). DBT often resonates deeply with clients navigating intense emotions, relationship challenges, or the push-pull of everyday stress. DBT often encompasses individual and group components; the manualized approached is widely evidence-based and has proven its efficacy for clients managing diverse concerns. At TPWG, we offer specialized DBT programming for adolescents, adults, and caregivers. Our services include individual DBT therapy, DBT skills groups, and caregiver workshops.
What are DBT Skills?
DBT, developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan, was originally created to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, its structured, skills-based approach has proven effective across a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional dysregulation.
At its heart, DBT helps people build lives worth living by teaching four fundamental skill modules:
- Mindfulness: becoming aware of the present moment and current thoughts and emotions.
- Emotion Regulation: managing and changing the frequency and intensity of unproductive emotions and creating positive emotions.
- Distress Tolerance: coping with difficult or painful emotions, as well as fostering confidence and resilience.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: managing and improving relationships as well as increasing self-advocacy.
We asked our team: “What is your favourite DBT skill and why?”
Here is what they shared:
Wise Mind: Finding Your Balance
“While I appreciate all of the skills, if I had to select just one, it would undoubtedly be the Wise Mind skill. Taking a moment to pause, breathe, and connect with my wise mind allows me to reflect on what the middle path might be in that particular moment, which I find to be incredibly calming.”
“The mindfulness skill distinguishes a client’s ‘emotion mind’ and ‘wise mind.’ It helps clients identify where things are being driven from in that moment and offers clarity into their current state.”
Wise Mind can be thought of as the middle point between emotion and logic. Next time you are at a crossroads, ask yourself “what is my Wise Mind saying?”
DEAR MAN: Communicating with Confidence
“My favourite DBT skill is DEAR MAN from the interpersonal effectiveness module.”
“DEAR MAN. I think it is the most useful, practical, and applicable skill that everyone needs to communicate effectively!”
“DEAR MAN. It is so important to be open and honest about our needs with other people, they are not mind readers!”
DEAR MAN is one of DBT’s many acronyms and stands for describe, express, assert, reinforce, mindful, appear, and negotiate.
TIPP: Calming the Emotional Storm
“One of my favourite DBT skills is TIPP. I love it because it offers quick, tangible ways to calm the body’s stress response- like using cold water or exercise.”
“TIP skill, tangible and easy strategies that are highly effective to help reduce the intensity of emotional distress.”
“TIPP! This was the first skill I was taught to manage emotional overwhelm in my personal therapy that actually worked for me.”
TIPP stands for Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Progressive Relaxation.
Radical Acceptance: Letting Go of the Uncontrollable
“Radical Acceptance – it made me realize I couldn’t fix everything…”
“Radical Acceptance!! I use this one all the time. There are so many aspects of life that are out of our control, and it is so much easier to cope and adapt when we learn to accept the situation and work with it rather than resisting it.”
Radical Acceptance is one of the most challenging yet freeing skills in DBT. It is defined as fully and totally acknowledging the past and the present situation without judgment.
Validation and Emotional Registration: Being Seen and Understood
“I love the skill of validation because I think we could all use more of it.”
“Emotional registration. When we can nail this skill, it really improves our lives and allows us to let some things go and be able to focus on what needs more attention.”
Validation is a core DBT skill in both individual and group therapy. Feeling seen and understood is both powerful and transformative.
Opposite Action: Doing the Opposite of What You Feel
“Opposite action encourages us to do the exact opposite of what our emotion is telling us- for example engaging instead of withdrawing.”
“One of my favourite DBT skills is opposite action because it helps me break free from intense emotions that may lead to unhelpful behaviours.”
Emotions often urge us to act in ways that reinforce suffering. When we commit ourselves to acting, fully, in the opposite we can minimize our suffering without engaging in unhelpful behaviours.
Walking the Middle Path: Embracing Complexity
“Walking the Middle Path is about finding a synthesis between two seemingly opposing existences and learning to accept the complexities of our experiences as humans. It embodies the ability to access a mindful and non-judgemental mind state and therefore facilitates self-compassion when we can accept ourselves in this way.”
Dialectical thinking, balance, and walking the middle path is at the core of DBT therapy.
More Team Favourites
Alternate Rebellion & States of Mind: “A tie between Alternate Rebellion and States of Mind. Recognizing the clues to when we are in reasonable or emotion mind is truly transformative!”
PLEASE: “It’s a great way to show yourself love by caring for your body’s needs!”
Self-Soothing with the 5 Senses: “It’s simple, easy, and effective.”
These unique and accessible skills round out the DBT toolbox.
What makes DBT so effective is its dual focus: helping people accept themselves as they are while also motivating them to make positive change. DBT skills are teachable, learnable, and actionable. Whether you are working one-on-one with a therapist, attending group sessions, or supporting your child through DBT, these tools can provide structure, relief, and empowerment.
If you are curious about learning DBT or working with one of our clinicians, check out our programs:
- DBT for Adolescents: https://tpwg.ca/services/dbt-for-teens/
- DBT for Adults: https://tpwg.ca/services/dbt-for-adults/
- Parenting and Caregiver Support: https://tpwg.ca/services/parenting-support/
You do not have to navigate your emotions alone. With the right skills and compassionate support, change is not only possible, but also entirely within reach.