When emotions feel difficult to manage, everyday situations can become harder to handle. You may react more strongly than you intend to, have trouble settling down after an argument, or struggle to know what to do when distress builds. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured, skills-based approach that teaches practical strategies for mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
If you are looking for a DBT therapist in Chicago, Pneuma Counseling has therapists trained in DBT. Counseling can incorporate DBT skills based on your concerns and goals, including challenges with managing emotions, coping with distress, and navigating difficult interactions. Pneuma also offers Christian counseling and spiritual integration for clients who want their faith to be part of the therapeutic process.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, commonly called DBT, is a structured form of psychotherapy that teaches practical skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and communicating more effectively. Psychologist Marsha Linehan originally developed DBT for people with borderline personality disorder. It has since been studied for other concerns involving difficulties with emotional regulation.
Behavioral Tech Institute, founded by DBT creator Marsha Linehan, reports that at least 135 million people worldwide will experience severe problems with emotion regulation during their lifetime and need an evidence-based treatment such as DBT.
Rather than focusing only on talking through problems, DBT emphasizes learning and practicing specific skills. Its four core areas are mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills address specific concerns, such as staying aware of your thoughts and feelings, managing distress without worsening a situation, responding to strong emotions, and communicating during conflict.
A DBT therapist in Chicago may help you apply these skills to concerns such as:
- Intense emotional reactions that are difficult to manage
- Difficulty coping with distress without reacting impulsively
- Repeated conflict or communication problems in relationships
- Difficulty recognizing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present moment
Pneuma Counseling has therapists trained in DBT and can incorporate DBT skills based on your concerns and counseling goals.
Who DBT Can Help
DBT may be appropriate for adults who have difficulty regulating emotions, tolerating distress, or managing conflict in relationships. These difficulties can involve strong emotional reactions, impulsive responses, or trouble calming down after stressful situations. DBT focuses on specific skills for responding to these patterns.
Emotional Regulation Difficulties
Some people experience emotions that become intense quickly or are difficult to settle. Frustration may trigger a strong reaction, while sadness or anxiety can make it harder to respond to a situation clearly. DBT includes emotion regulation skills for identifying emotional patterns and practicing more deliberate responses.
Relationship Conflict
Strong emotional reactions can make communication more difficult. Arguments may escalate, needs may be difficult to express, or boundaries may be difficult to maintain. DBT includes interpersonal effectiveness skills that address communication, conflict, and expressing needs while maintaining relationships.
Intense Reactions to Stress
For some people, stressful situations can lead to impulsive decisions, withdrawal, or feeling overwhelmed by emotion. DBT includes distress tolerance skills for managing difficult situations without making them worse. These skills focus on what you can do when distress is particularly intense.
Because each person’s concerns and goals are different, DBT skills may be incorporated into counseling based on individual circumstances. A DBT therapist in Chicago can help you determine whether this approach fits your concerns and goals.
What to Expect From a DBT Session at Pneuma
A DBT session focuses on the concerns you bring to counseling and the skills that may help you respond to them. Rather than only discussing difficult experiences, a therapist may help you identify patterns in your emotions, behaviors, and relationships.
Your sessions may include:
- Exploring situations that lead to intense emotional reactions
- Identifying patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Learning DBT skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance
- Practicing interpersonal effectiveness skills for communication and conflict
The specific skills used in counseling depend on your concerns and treatment goals. DBT is a structured, skills-based approach, but not every client will use the same skills or address the same concerns.
Pneuma’s counseling is trauma-informed and can incorporate Christian counseling when requested. Explore our services to learn more about the support available. Faith integration is available for clients who want their beliefs included in the therapeutic process.
Is DBT Right for You?
Not every therapy approach fits every person. DBT may be worth discussing if you want practical skills for managing strong emotions, tolerating distress, or handling conflict more effectively.
It may be helpful to speak with a therapist if you often notice that:
- Your emotions become difficult to manage during stressful situations.
- You have trouble calming down after an emotionally intense experience.
- Conflict or communication problems keep affecting important relationships.
- You want specific skills for responding to distress instead of reacting impulsively.
These experiences do not mean that you need DBT. This article also cannot determine whether DBT is appropriate for you. A therapist can consider your concerns, circumstances, and counseling goals before recommending whether DBT skills may be useful.
If you are considering DBT in Chicago, Yao A. M. Egan and Emelissa Mejia are members of the Pneuma team whose profiles include DBT among their therapeutic approaches. Reviewing their profiles can help you learn more about their backgrounds and approaches before reaching out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a DBT therapist in Chicago do?
A DBT therapist in Chicago helps clients learn practical skills for managing emotions, tolerating distress, and handling relationships more effectively. DBT focuses on four core areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. A therapist may incorporate these skills into counseling based on the client’s concerns and goals.
Is DBT only for people with severe mental health conditions?
No, DBT is not limited to people with severe mental health conditions. DBT was originally developed for people with borderline personality disorder and has since been studied for other concerns involving emotional regulation. It may also address difficulties with distress tolerance, strong emotional reactions, and relationship conflict.
Can DBT be combined with Christian counseling?
Yes, DBT can be incorporated into counseling that also includes Christian counseling when a client wants faith to be part of the therapeutic process. Pneuma Counseling offers Christian counseling and can incorporate DBT skills based on the client’s concerns and counseling goals.
What happens during a DBT session?
A DBT session may focus on identifying emotional and behavioral patterns and learning practical skills related to emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, or interpersonal effectiveness. The specific skills used depend on the client’s concerns and counseling goals.
Take the Next Step
If you are looking for trauma-informed, faith-based counselling in Chicago, our team is here to help.