We’ve reached the end of the series on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). I know it took a while to get here, but as was shown, it’s a complex, multifaceted therapy. The entire course takes a full six months of weekly group sessions in addition to some pretty intense individual sessions. It’s a commitment of time, effort, resources, and it’s worth every second.

When I first encountered DBT therapy, I was a disaster. I was in my second marriage, had discovered an affair and that he was abusing my children from my first marriage. I was carrying an 18 hour load at University of Kentucky, majoring in Spanish and International Economics. I was also the night manager at a restaurant in the busiest food court in the area. All that plus raising children and the combination of therapy that had brought up much of my past trauma pushed me over the edge. I probably should have been hospitalized, but had friends who stepped in to help me get on my feet again.

I found a new therapist and she signed me up for the very first group being run by the university. It changed my life. Twenty-plus years later, it still impacts me and helps me get through challenges, have healthier relationships, and even has an effect in how I handle my work as an author and in my day job.

It is a landmark therapy process as the first successful treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. You don’t have to suffer from that particular disorder to benefit from DBT therapy though. Maybe you find yourself overwhelmed in social situations, easily angered in situations you feel you should not be so angered by, anxious to the point of physical illness before engaging in certain “normal” activities, or have other similar issues to tackle. Maybe you were raised in an abusive household, or have had other trauma that has taken over your ability to control your life.

Talk to a therapist about DBT. If this isn’t the right one for you, they might know one that will help your specific situation. Whatever you decide, take care of you!

Next week, I’ll start writing about Gestalt Therapy. I haven’t decided how many segments I’ll have on it, but it’s an interesting type of therapy and I look forward to sharing more about it.

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