Portland DBT

Comprehensive Healing Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an advanced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) model. Typically, DBT focuses on developing healthier coping strategies and emotional responses for effective emotion regulation. At Spark Wellness, our Portland DBT integrates coping strategies and emotion regulation into our evidence-based treatment programs. Through our DBT clinic in Portland, you or a loved one can find comprehensive healing for sustained recovery. Additionally, as a modality, DBT also helps patients manage emotional distress and reduce conflict by emphasizing balance and acceptance. Thus, DBT has become an essential component of our approach to holistic psychotherapy.

What Is DBT?

Dialectical behavior therapy is a comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapy, traditionally used to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, DBT programs have expanded to help treat a variety of other mental health conditions. 

Substance use disorder (SUD) and other mental health conditions can lead to dysregulation, poor coping strategies, and low distress tolerance. DBT emphasizes the balance between acceptance and change to help patients manage emotional distress and reduce conflicts, leading to greater well-being. DBT is effective for treating conditions like substance use, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health disorders. 

The therapy techniques you learn from your DBT therapist can help foster mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation. With therapeutic features such as individual therapy and skills training, you can enhance emotional regulation and balance, leading to greater overall well-being.

Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy Effective?

DBT is an effective psychotherapy for a wide range of disorders. Challenges with substance abuse and other mental health disorders can have a profound impact on your psychological health. Substance use can impair attention and memory, and contribute to depression and anxiety. Additionally, mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and self-harm can increase emotional dysregulation, behavioral changes, and unhealthy coping strategies. Thus, core features of DBT, like mindfulness and adaptive coping strategies, are integral to addressing the emotional distress of substance abuse and other mental health conditions. 

Due to its approach to adaptive coping strategies, DBT has become a well-established psychotherapy for multiple and severe psychosocial disorders. Whether you or a loved one is experiencing self-harming behavior, suicidal ideation, depression, and or substance abuse, DBT can help significantly decrease emotional distress.

What Conditions Is DBT Used to Treat?

Traditionally, DBT was developed from CBT to treat borderline personality disorder. With DBT, patients with BPD can navigate emotional distress, decrease relationship conflict, and reduce self-destructive and self-harming behavior. Further, DBT has expanded to be an effective treatment for several other conditions. Listed below are some of the other conditions DBT can be used to treat:

  • Depression
    • DBT helps patients learn how to break the cycle of negative thinking patterns to reduce depressive symptoms
  • Anxiety
    • Mindfulness techniques in DBT help patients build distress tolerance to manage anxiety symptoms and build adaptive coping strategies for stressors
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
    • With the support of a DBT therapist, patients with ADHD can build emotional regulation skills and improve mindfulness to support understanding emotions and increase focus skills
    •  DBT can also strengthen interpersonal effectiveness in ADHD by building communication, conflict resolution, and setting boundary skills
  • Bipolar disorder
    • Can help patients with emotional dysregulation to reduce intense emotions and mood swings
    • A DBT program also provides skills training to support distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness to improve interpersonal relationships
  • PTSD
    • Various DBT techniques, including mindfulness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, can be utilized to manage and reduce symptoms
  • Eating disorders
    • Skills training in DBT can be used to help identify unhealthy coping behaviors and build adaptive coping strategies
  • Self-harm
    • Skills training and emotional regulation techniques in a DBT program can help build adaptive coping strategies and reduce intense emotions
  • Substance abuse
    • CBT and DBT in combination have been used effectively to support substance use treatment
    • Various techniques in DBT, like mindfulness for acceptance, can be effectively utilized to address substance abuse
    • Supports trigger management, decreases cravings, and improves decision-making skills

Difference Between DBT and CBT

DBT was developed from CBT, so they share several similarities. Both CBT and BDT address unhealthy coping strategies and emotional well-being. Moreover, in a CBT or DBT program, patients learn how their thoughts influence their behaviors, such as substance abuse. Through greater self-awareness in CBT and DBT, patients can focus on building adaptive coping strategies to change negative thinking patterns. The primary difference between CBT and DBT lies in the focus of the treatment. 

In a CBT program, you and your licensed professional counselor work together to address specific challenges and situations. For instance, you may build practical skills in skills training to redirect negative thinking and change how you behave in situations. In contrast, a DBT program focuses on multiple aspects of you and your life. With DBT, you learn to accept and cope with upsetting feelings and emotions related to yourself, others, and your environment. Moreover, CBT is a short-term treatment, while DBT is typically used in a long-term treatment program.

How Does DBT Work?

As its name suggests, DBT is influenced by the principle of balancing opposites. Through dialectical behavior therapy in Portland, Oregon, patients are coached on finding ways to maintain two seemingly opposite perspectives at once. With techniques like mindfulness, we promote balance while avoiding black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking. Moreover, as a psychotherapy, DBT promotes acceptance and change by helping patients develop new skills to manage painful emotions and decrease relationship conflict. The four main techniques focused on in a DBT program are mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation to help you achieve balance and serenity. 

Mindfulness

  • Helps you stay focused on the present moment
  • Learn how to be present without judgment
    • Able to pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and impulses
  • Encourages building observing, describing, and participating skills

Interpersonal Effectiveness

  • Helps you learn how to build and maintain healthy relationships 
  • Fosters positive assertive communication skills for effective conflict resolution
  • Improves communication, listening, and boundary-setting skills

Distress Tolerance

  • Teaches you how to develop adaptive coping strategies to handle emotional distress and stressors
    • Incorporate crisis skills such as distraction, self-soothing, and reflecting on the pros and cons
  • Empowers you to accept and find meaning in distressing situations while learning to tolerate and work through the stressors

Emotional Regulation

  • Helps you learn how to understand and manage intense or overwhelming emotions to reduce impulsivity and or unhealthy coping strategies
    • Learn how to identify, name, and work through intense negative emotions
  • Through emotional regulation, you foster greater emotional awareness and utilize distress tolerance techniques to decrease emotional vulnerability

DBT Modalities

Several modalities are effectively used in a DBT program:

  • Individual therapy
    • You work with a licensed professional counselor to build behavioral skills that can be adapted to your life challenges
      • Focuses on helping you identify and understand your maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns
      • Supports thought and emotional regulation
      • Fosters motivation, treatment engagement, and reduces unhealthy behaviors
    • DBT sessions for individual therapy can also help reduce suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors
  • Group therapy
    • You learn healthy behavioral skills through DBT skills groups with other patients
      • In DBT skills groups, you learn how to engage in mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness for your daily life 
  • Phone coaching
    • Utilizes telehealth in outpatient care, so you can receive guidance for coping strategies from your DBT therapist between sessions
      • Designed to help you in a crisis state when you are having difficulty effectively coping with your symptoms
        • Can help address challenging moments with self-harming behaviors 
    • Telehealth phone coaching can also be used when you need insight into how to utilize a skill 
    • Provides supplemental support to your individual and group work for brief, as-needed coaching during agreed-upon times with your clinicians

Our team is dedicated to offering steadfast support throughout your DBT therapy journey. This consistent, ongoing support is vital for sustaining progress, avoiding relapse, and achieving lasting success. We ensure continuous development and healing by providing individualized guidance, frequent check-ins, and a nurturing environment.

Comprehensive Evaluation for DBT Clinic Support in Portland

Whether you are seeking telehealth or in-person support for yourself or a loved one, you can find support at Spark Wellness. Our licensed clinicians perform detailed assessments to tailor DBT therapy to you. With a comprehensive and holistic approach to care, we can address your specific needs to ensure personalized treatment. Our comprehensive evaluation is designed to help us assess if DBT is right for you. After reviewing a series of assessment questions and educating you on how DBT works, we will together decide whether our DBT program could be effective for you.  

Comprehensive Evaluation for DBT Clinic Support in Portland

As providers of a DBT clinic in Portland, we are well-equipped to build a DBT program tailored to your specific experiences and needs. Thus, what a DBT session looks like for one patient may not be the same for another patient. However, understanding what you may encounter in your DBT session can provide insight into what you can expect during your sessions. A DBT program typically includes individual therapy and group therapy sessions in DBT skills groups. In these individual and group sessions, you will be taught a variety of skills to practice throughout your treatment program. 

During individual therapy sessions, you work with your DBT therapist to identify and reframe negative thought patterns. Identifying and reframing negative thoughts helps you develop healthier emotional and behavioral responses. Your DBT therapist is here to help you stay motivated in your program, overcome obstacles, and integrate the skills you've learned into your daily life. In comparison, your group therapy sessions are held in a group setting with other patients by your DBT therapist. During weekly group therapy sessions, you will learn, practice, and apply DBT skills in a supportive environment. 

Similar to typical psychotherapy, in group therapy, you and your peers are encouraged to share your experiences and support each other in your DBT skills groups. In addition to peer support in DBT skills groups, you may also be assigned homework to complete between group sessions. 

Stages of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Portland, Oregon

In general, DBT sessions can be broken into four stages of treatment:

  • When you first enter your DBT program, you and your DBT therapist will address your self-destructive behaviors, including behaviors like self-harm
  • Then your DBT therapist will help you address the challenges that impede your quality of life
    • Emotional regulation
    • Distress tolerance
    • Interpersonal effectiveness
    • Mindfulness
  • After exploring quality of life techniques, you will explore issues that have impacted your self-esteem and interpersonal relationships with your loved ones and others
  • Finally, you will continue to build on the skills you have learned and engage in real-life applications
    • Builds on fostering ways to make life worth living without substances
      • Increases happiness and fulfillment
      • Strengthens healthy relationship dynamics
      • Empowers you to pursue your life goals

Benefits of DBT for Sustained Recovery

There will always be stressors in life and challenges that increase emotional distress. However, with the support of DBT, you will have a toolbox of adaptive coping strategies to manage triggers and overcome future challenges. When you face stressors, DBT will help you manage current thought patterns and prepare for future challenges, ensuring sustained recovery and support for your mental and emotional well-being. Some of the other benefits of a DBT program at Spark Wellness include:

  • Greater mindfulness to dismantle feelings of emptiness and disconnection from self and others
  • Decreased feelings of loneliness through effective communication skills
  • Increased self-confidence and motivation
  • Improved self-esteem
  • Reduced anxiety, depressive symptoms, and stress
  • Decrease in self-harming behavior
  • Greater self-acceptance 
  • Ability to make positive changes in your behaviors and interactions
  • Improved ability to recognize and analyze problems and destructive behavior patterns
    • Able to effectively replace negative and destructive behaviors with healthier ones
    • Better able to recognize and change thoughts and beliefs that are harmful or unhelpful
  • Greater collaboration skills
  • Better able to recognize your strengths and attributes
    • Able to develop and effectively use your positive strengths and attributes 

Benefits of DBT for Sustained Recovery

Our team of clinicians is dedicated to offering steadfast support throughout your DBT journey. We provide consistent, ongoing support because it is vital for sustaining progress, avoiding relapse, and achieving lasting success. Together, we ensure continuous development and healing by providing individualized guidance, frequent check-ins, and a nurturing environment. Moreover, our holistic approach supports building comprehensive care plans personalized to your unique needs. Our comprehensive approach empowers you to overcome challenges and embrace a brighter future.

Treatment and recovery do not have to be a daunting process when you have access to flexible and compassionate care that meets you where you are. With support, you can start building a life worth living as healing and hope transform you and your life. Are you ready to unlock lasting change at Spark Wellness and transform your life with DBT? You can start your journey to profound healing and recovery today with our evidence-based, Portland DBT program.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be an effective psychotherapy to support a variety of mental health challenges. DBT can be a powerful tool for several challenges, including overwhelming emotional distress, self-harming behaviors, and self-destructive substance abuse. Through adaptive coping strategy techniques, such as emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness, you can recognize and dismantle negative thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns. With our comprehensive Portland DBT program, Spark Wellness can support healing and long-term recovery for a life worth living. Call us at (971) 359-4753 to learn how DBT in a holistic, patient-centered treatment program can help transform your life.

How Spark Creates Change

These numbers aren’t just statistics—they’re proof of transformation, healing, and hope made possible through Spark Wellness.

CLIENTS SERVED      
2500 + patients served since 2019
AVERAGE TREAMENT
OUTCOMES
 
35% decrease in depression 36% decrease in anxiety
30% decrease in stress, 66%
COMPLETION RATES  
Overall Satisfaction  - 4.5 out of 5 (95%)
ACCESS/AVAILABILITY
24/7 admissions availability. 70% of insurance accepted, Telehealth for rural areas
THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

14 evidence-based tx modalities. 100% of staff trained in trauma informed care. This is part of the on-boarding process.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Complimentary family support group provided weekly on site and virtually.
AFTERCARE AND LONG-TERM SUCCESS    
100% of our Pts have access to aftercare support via alumni services and through an engagement app offered through ERP.
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE  
8:1 patient staff ratio
All staff are either licensed or certified. We employ MD, ND, PMHNP, LPC, CADC’s, QMHP, CRM.

Let these results inspire your own. Get in touch with Spark Wellness and take the next step toward healing. Contact us