What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a comprehensive approach to therapy that focuses on increasing effective behaviors in the areas of mindful decision making, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance.
Clients are supported in acknowledging the suffering of their present and past circumstances while being encouraged to move toward freedom from suffering by building a life worth living. While clients may not be responsible for the unbearable life they currently live, they are responsible for working to change it. DBT is the community standard of treatment for persons diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder but its effectiveness is well established for a multitude of clinical conditions as well for children in the development of positive life management skills.
Dr. Wooten has been facilitating DBT skills training groups for more than 20 years with adult women populations in corrections, substance abuse and private practice. She completed the DBT Advanced Intensive Training with the Linehan Institute which when added to her extensive experience establishes her as a modality expert. Dr. Wooten has a long-standing reputation for providing professional yet loving care to those coming through deeply painful life experiences. She has completed additional specialized training and supervision in contemporary psychodynamic interventions that to enable her to incorporate deeper insights and interpretations into the understanding of the suffering and joy our patients seek to understand.
To enroll in DBT with us, please contact the office and request an intake appointment. In this first appointment you will be introduced to the goals of DBT and oriented to the elements of the program. In this appointment you and the therapist will review your history so that together you can determine whether this treatment is for you and whether the commitment to our program will help you meet your goals. No treatment will be effective without your personal and specific goals being set as the priority from the onset and this is our intentional design. We have several therapists who have been working in DBT for years and can help to build a treatment program that works for you.
Here are some things our patients have said that may help you decide to give us a call.
"No one has ever explained it this way, so that I could understand it. I thought I was crazy, but now it makes sense to me and I can see a way forward."
"Dr. Wooten explains things in a way that others just don't. It really helped me to understand what I have been struggling with my whole life."
"DBT changed my life. I see my self as more skillful and where I'm not perfect, I'm much better at managing my emotions everywhere."
Research Findings in DBT
1.
Significantly reduces non-suicidal self injury, suicide ideation and attempts.
2.
Significantly improves social adjustment among persons meeting criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.
3.
Has proven an effective treatment for drug abuse among people meeting criteria for BPD.
4.
Is associated with a significantly lower treatment dropout rates and less frequent hospitalization and shorter hospital stays.
5.
Is effective in persons with binge eating and dissociative behaviors and in variety of settings.
6.
Improved adjustment has been sustained in follow up studies up to 16 months post treatment.
7.
DBT has outperformed control treatments in reducing intentional self-injury, inpatient hospitalizations, hopelessness, depression, dissociation, anger, and impulsivity.
8.
DBT is an extremely effective treatment in reducing substance abuse. It is also extremely effective for keeping suicidal patients alive by helping them to gain control over life-threatening behaviors and other severe behaviors.
The DBT Program with Wooten & Associates, PLC
1.
A minimum of 6 -12 month commitment to treatment by therapist and client.
2.
Weekly individual therapy focused on psychosocial assessment and skills acquisition, skills execution and resolution of ineffective behavioral responses.
3.
Weekly group therapy involving didactic and interpersonal process techniques to train clients in new cognitive-behavioral coping skills.
4.
Weekly Diary Cards for recording coping behaviors, both positive and negative.
5.
Weekly handouts with descriptions and rationales for each skill learned.
6.
Time in each group to review homework practice and obstacles that interfere with practice.
7.
Four training modules: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance, and Emotion Regulation, each lasting approximately 8 weeks.
8.
Phone coaching to facilitate skills application outside of the therapeutic setting.
For more information on the principles and resources associated with DBT, visit:
