Maladaptive behavior patterns can be altered using various behavioral therapy methods. All actions are learned from the environment and may be modified; this is the central tenet of behaviorism, the psychological school of thinking upon which behavioral therapy is founded. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of CBT that was created in the late 1980s to deal with patients suffering from borderline personality disorder. In addition to its application in treating substance use disorders, DBT has proven effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions. Read on to learn more from Dr. Ashwin Reddy.
What is the procedure of Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
DBT is a conversation therapy aimed at helping teenagers learn to control their emotions and find constructive methods to deal with stressful situations. Many adolescents also report improved interpersonal interactions as a result of this therapy. DBT is particularly helpful in helping teenagers who have destructive habits like binge eating or substance abuse. Together, a therapist and a teen can encourage positive behavioral adjustments.
DBT relies on four main tenets. Two are concerned with surrender, while the others are concerned with transformation. These are the modules:
- Teens will practice mindfulness by being more self-aware and grounded in the here and now. By examining their thoughts, feelings, and actions in a nonjudgmental and less reactive manner, practitioners of mindfulness can help their patients come to terms with their experiences.
- Teens who have developed their capacity to tolerate distress are better able to weather the storms of life. They will also practice letting go of unrealistic expectations and embracing themselves exactly as they are.
- Teens develop skills in emotional regulation as they learn to recognize their feelings, take charge of them, and release them constructively.
- Teens learn how to effectively interact with others by enhancing their communication skills, advocating for themselves, and establishing positive limits.
Five Advantages of Teen Behavioral Counseling
Behavioral therapies examine both the presenting issue and the client’s current behavior. One of behavioral therapy’s greatest strengths is its applicability to a wide variety of mental health issues and co-occurring diseases. Among the many other advantages of adolescent behavioral therapy are:
- Offers Knowledge That Can Be Measured
- Facilitates creative problem-solving and the capacity to adapt to stressful situations. Aids in the management and correction of unhelpful, difficult, or maladaptive thought processes
- Facilitates enhanced interaction and communication
- In general, both functionality and quality of life have increased.
- Behavioral counseling is an important aspect of a more all-encompassing strategy for treating adolescents’ mental health issues. Anxiety, sadness, and bipolar disorder are just some of the mental health conditions that behavioral counseling techniques like dialectical behavior therapy can help.
Regardless of one’s age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, studies have proven that behavioral therapy strategies are successful. Teens participating in either individual or group therapy are assigned tasks to complete during their meetings to help them apply what they have learned.
