DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) in Toronto, Thornhill, and Virtually Across Ontario
Sometimes it can be hard to know what to do with an emotion while you are in the middle of it, even if things make more sense afterwards. You may react quickly, shut down, feel overwhelmed, or have several feelings happening at once.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, or DBT, offers practical ways to understand what is happening and consider what might help in the moment. One of its central ideas is that you can accept what you are feeling while still wanting something to change.
You do not need to know whether DBT is the right approach before starting therapy. We can first understand what has been happening and decide together what might be useful.
In-person therapy in Toronto and Thornhill • Virtual therapy across Ontario
What Is Dialectical Behavioural Therapy?
DBT is a therapy approach that combines two ideas that can sometimes seem opposite: accepting what is happening right now while also working toward something different.
For example, you can understand why you reacted the way you did and still want to respond differently next time. You can make room for an emotion without having to act on everything you feel in that moment.
DBT includes practical skills that can help when emotions, relationships, decisions, or difficult moments start to feel hard to manage.
Acceptance Does Not Mean Giving Up
Accepting that something is happening does not mean liking it, approving of it, or deciding that it should stay the same. Sometimes recognizing what is happening first can make it easier to decide what you want to do next.
Mindfulness
Staying Present
Paying attention to what is happening right now without immediately needing to judge it, fix it, or push it away.
Emotion Regulation
Understanding & Responding to Emotions
Learning more about what emotions may be telling you, what can make them more intense, and what may help you respond differently.
DBT Offers Different Skills for Different Moments
There is not one DBT skill that works for every situation. Different skills can be useful depending on whether you are trying to understand an emotion, get through a difficult moment, communicate with someone, or stay connected to what is happening right now.
You do not need to learn or use every skill. We can focus on what is actually relevant to what you are dealing with.
Distress Tolerance
Getting Through Difficult Moments
Finding ways to get through a difficult moment without doing something that may make things harder afterwards.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Communicating What You Need
Working on how to ask for what you need, set boundaries, handle disagreement, and stay connected to what matters to you in relationships.
What Can DBT Look Like in Therapy?
DBT can look much like a regular therapy conversation. We may start with something that happened recently and slow it down enough to understand what you were feeling, what you needed, and how you responded.
Sometimes a particular DBT skill may fit what we are talking about, and we can practise it together. Other times, simply understanding what made the situation so difficult may be more important than immediately trying to change it.
I do not expect you to remember the “right” skill in every difficult moment. We can look at what worked, what did not, and what might be more useful next time without treating it like something you were supposed to get right.
When Might DBT Be Considered?
DBT may be worth considering when it is hard to respond the way you would like during emotional or stressful moments.
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions
Reacting quickly and regretting it afterwards
Being hard on yourself for how you feel or react
Shutting down when things feel like too much
Finding it difficult to ask for what you need
Taking a while to feel settled after conflict
Finding it difficult to set boundaries or say no
Knowing what you want to do differently but finding it hard in the moment
Having one of these experiences does not automatically mean DBT is the right approach. We can first understand what has been happening and decide together whether DBT, another approach, or a combination may be useful.
You Do Not Have to Use Every Skill Perfectly
PRACTICAL SUPPORT
Sometimes DBT includes practising something between sessions, such as noticing an emotion, trying a different way of responding during a conversation, or using a skill when things start to feel intense.
The purpose is not to give you homework just for the sake of it. Anything we try should connect to something that actually matters in your life.
If a strategy does not help, that is useful information too. We can talk about what happened and adjust rather than assuming you did it wrong.
I may also draw from DBT alongside other therapy approaches depending on what you need.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy FAQs
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Wondering Whether DBT Might Be a Good Fit?
You do not need to know whether DBT is the right approach before reaching out. A free 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk briefly about what you are looking for, answer any questions you have, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
In-person therapy in Toronto and Thornhill • Virtual therapy across Ontario