Therapeutic Modalities

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A skills-based approach for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and building a life worth living.

What Is DBT?

Skills for Living With Intense Emotions

Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for people who experience emotions intensely and who struggle to manage the consequences. Originally designed for borderline personality disorder, DBT has proven highly effective for a wide range of challenges: self-harm, eating disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, chronic depression, and the intense emotional dysregulation common in adopted and foster youth.

DBT is structured around four core skill modules: Mindfulness (being present without judgment), Distress Tolerance (surviving crisis without making things worse), Emotion Regulation (understanding and reducing emotional vulnerability), and Interpersonal Effectiveness (navigating relationships while maintaining self-respect). At Yoffe Therapy, we offer DBT-informed individual therapy and integrate DBT skills into our work with teens and adults.

Who This Specialty Is For

✦ Teens and adults with intense emotional reactivity
✦ People experiencing self-harm or suicidal ideation (with appropriate safety planning)
✦ Those with trauma-related emotional dysregulation
✦ Adopted and foster youth with behavioral and emotional challenges
✦ Anyone wanting concrete skills for managing difficult emotions

Treatment Approaches

DBT Skills Training (4 Modules)

Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness: taught as concrete, practiceble skills.

DBT-A (Adolescent Adaptation)

Modified DBT designed specifically for teenagers, with a family component and content adapted for adolescent development.

Mindfulness-Based Practices

Non-judgmental present-moment awareness as the foundation for all DBT skills and emotional regulation.

Behavioral Chain Analysis

A structured DBT tool for understanding what leads to problem behaviors and where skills can interrupt the chain.

Find a DBT-Trained Therapist

Our therapists integrate DBT skills into individual work with teens and adults. Find the right fit today.

Meet Our Therapists →