Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) & Dialectical Behavior (DBT) Therapies

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a short-term, problem-focused form of behavioral treatment that helps people see the difference between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings, and free them from unhelpful patterns of behavior.

CBT is grounded in the belief that it is a person’s perception of events – rather than the events themselves – that determines how he or she will feel and act in response.

With CBT, you’ll be able to adjust the thoughts that directly influence your emotions and behavior. This adjustment process is referred to as cognitive reconstructing, which happens through different CBT techniques.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Its main goals are to give people tools to notice and bring awareness to the present moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships with others.

DBT relies heavily on mindfulness skills used in Buddhism and Zen practices. DBT teaches patients to use specific mindfulness techniques to learn to live with pain in the world and accept how things are instead of suffering by trying to change them.