The two most common types of treatment offered to a client in therapy are DBT and CBT. They stand for dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
DBT and CBT are both forms of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is also known as talk therapy, and it involves a client speaking to a therapist. Clients can have psychotherapy on an individual basis or as part of a group in group therapy.
When it comes to specific mental health disorders, someone may participate in either DBT or CBT or even both forms of treatment. Pathways Wellness Center offers both DBT and CBT treatment to their clients. This is because we specialize in the treatment of addiction and its co-occurring mental health disorders. These co-occurring disorders vary greatly between individuals, but they must be addressed before recovery from addiction can begin.
This requires the use of DBT and CBT, although most laypeople tend not to know the difference between the two. Understanding how each type of therapy works, and what they are best suited to treat, de-mystifies the mental health treatment process. Education lessens fear and encourages those most in need of help to seek it.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy works by helping someone identify harmful thoughts and thinking patterns. These thoughts can and do influence someone's behavior and choices. Sometimes these thoughts are subtle and can influence someone's life on a subconscious level. Identifying these thoughts is done through talk therapy by walking someone through their thinking and decision-making process.
Once these thoughts and thinking patterns are identified, the client is then educated on how it influences their behavior and emotions. For example, someone who believes they deserve to be alone due to abuse or trauma may decide to repeatedly isolate themselves from others. Understanding that this is not healthy and that they do deserve love and company is important to helping someone heal.
Then, it's learning how to change, redirect, and cope with these harmful thinking patterns and thoughts. Sometimes these thoughts are so ingrained that they are difficult to completely remove. Instead, someone may learn how to redirect the thought instead. The same person with the ingrained reaction to isolate themselves can instead learn how to reach out to their support network when they feel the urge to isolate. It takes time and practice, but CBT has a high success rate in helping people make long-lasting and healthy life changes.
Dialectical behavior therapy is different in that its goal is to build a healthy balance between accepting who you are and making life changes. This is especially important for those with chronic and life-long and chronic mental health disorders. Many people attempt to deal with these mental health disorders in unhealthy ways in an attempt to control them. The fact is that some of these disorders cannot be controlled, and attempting to ignore or circumvent them does more harm than good.
Instead, those in DBT learn how to live with their disorder and accept that they are still people worthy of understanding and acceptance. Clients are encouraged to practice mindfulness. This is when someone focuses on the present and is aware of their state of being. Worrying about the past or the present only puts undue stress and worry on a person's psyche.
Part of what makes DBT effective is its teaching of distress tolerance. This is where a client learns how to manage their emotions in stressful situations without relying on harmful behaviors to cope. Emotional regulation is an important part of DBT, especially for disorders with "big" emotions. Control is taught through healthy coping skills and accepting that it's okay to feel your emotions. It's how we act with them that matters most. The learning of setting healthy boundaries and respecting yourself and others helps clients rejoin society as healthier individuals.
DBT is specifically designed for those with very intense emotions. Thus, DBT is best suited for those struggling with:
CBT is designed to help those identify harmful thoughts and thinking patterns. Thus, CBT is best suited for those struggling with:
However, DBT and CBT can both be effective at treating:
Pathways Wellness Center offers both DBT and CBT as treatment options because it gives those struggling with addiction and its co-occurring mental health disorders the best chance at recovery. Addiction cannot be effectively treated unless the underlying cause is taken care of. Depression, PTSD, BPD, and others are common mental health disorders that can lead to addiction.
By offering DBT and CBT, anyone can find the right treatment they need to recover, regardless of their specific underlying mental health disorder.
When someone begins their recovery journey, they may encounter two of the most common psychotherapies offered as part of treatment. These are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Both sound similar, but they are quite different, especially when it comes to addiction treatment. Sometimes people may need one, the other, or even both to heal and recover. Here at Pathways Wellness Center in Glendora, California, we offer both therapies to our clients to give them the best chance at long-lasting recovery. By using these therapies, our clients can expect individualized treatments to suit their needs and goals. If you or a loved one is struggling, call us at (888) 771-0966 today.
