Treatment - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Any conversation about DBT will start with a reference to Dr. Marsha Linehan of the University of Washington who has developed this form of therapy especially for BPD clients.

So far, the only place I have found in Ontario offering DBT is the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and their treatment program is full.  I call the beginning of each month to see if there are any openings.

My psychiatrist suggests that DBT therapy is fairly complex, and a team of specialists trained in various aspects of DBT delivery is required to do it properly.  Thus, only places like CAMH are likely to have such a group of professionals available in one location.

So, in the meantime, what do I do?  Can I cobble together a treatment plan for myself with the resources I can find locally?

I've taken a look at DBT to see if I can break it down into segments I may be able to access from various sources:

* mindfulness       * interpersonal skills (managing conflict)
* validation           * distress tolerance skills
* talk therapy       * emotion regulation skills
       * cognitive behaviour therapy

There may be more to it than this.  Every article I read seems to have another nuance or suggested approach; but I hope I've identified the core aspects of DBT. (If anyone sees an important element I've missed, let me know.)

I'll try to address each of these areas and how I've accessed resources in subsequent posts.