Thursday, January 7, 2010

DBT1: Introduction

DBT or Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed in the late 1970’s by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, a cognitive behavior therapist. The roots sound a little daunting: you’ll hear that she developed DBT to help suicide patients and that it’s currently used today to help patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.  Don’t let those facts stop you from reading on. In short, DBT blends Cognitive Behavior Therapy (goal oriented) with Zen Buddhism (mindfulness techniques).  I’ve found the combination of disciplines to be tools useful to anyone who is interested in balance, mindfulness, and personal effectiveness.

I will send these emails out on a semi-regular basis to share. I have no intention of seeming preachy or overbearing.  I’m not looking for converts or even understanding. I feel as though I’ve been given a gift and it would be wrong for me not to share that in some way. If you choose not to receive these emails, simply reply with something like “nah”, “nope”,  “thanks anyway” and I’ll promptly and privately remove you from all future mailings.

I will mainly use www.dbtselfhelp.com as a source – and you may just wish to follow there as there is a simple online lesson plan. The discussion points can be used for self reflection. Should any of you wish to discuss those with me, I’m open.  This all reinforces my knowledge of the subject and keeps me growing!

If you have any other thoughts or concerns, please let me know. I wish you all the happiness in the world!

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