Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Welcome

Welcome to our Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Track. DBT is a highly engaging, compassionate, and intensive outpatient treatment with the primary goal of building lives worth living. At its core, DBT rests on a dialectical philosophy or worldview (e.g., there are multiple truths operating simultaneously and change happens as a result of finding a synthesis between them). DBT has a substantial evidence base as an effective treatment for suicide, self-injury, substance use, anger management, and eating disorders and is associated with lower emergency room visits/inpatient care.

We provide a 6-month comprehensive model which includes weekly individual DBT therapy, weekly skills group training, access to skills phone coaching, and where all therapists must attend a weekly two hour consultation team to ensure that they are adherent. We have a skills-only care pathway and also offer DBT-PE (trauma-based) and MED-DBT (eating disorder-based).

What We Treat

While we advocate for a change in this stigmatizing language, BPD as it is currently known, is characterized by uncontrolled emotions, identity disturbances, significant relationship issues, pervasive fears of abandonment, difficulties controlling anger, stress-induced dissociation, suicide and self-injurious behavior, and other areas of impulsivity (e.g., shoplifting, gambling, substance use, eating disorders, risky behaviours).

These deeply painful and highly risky behaviours can occur across mental health difficulties (not only in BPD). We see these behaviors as a person’s attempt to cope with incredibly painful internal experiences and external conditions. We know the suffering is tremendous and we believe that DBT can help to alleviate that suffering while we work toward building lives worth living. We are known for suicide prevention and the treatment of self-harm.

Difficulties with regulating emotions can present in a range of ways including experiencing intense and fluctuating emotions that are hard to manage, struggling with being a “super feeler”, difficulty communicating emotional needs, feeling disconnected from emotions or unable to notice them, not having emotional language, or acting in ways in an emotional state that go against your values.

Eating disorders are neurologically driven, biologically-based illnesses that affect an individual’s physical, psychological, and emotional health. While there are different types of eating disorders (see below) all involve an inability to properly feed oneself. As a whole, eating disorders are characterized by disturbances in eating and body weight and specific personality traits that typically emerge well before the onset of the disorder (e.g., perfectionism, emotion regulation difficulties, risk aversion).

Trauma refers to an intense, distressing event or series of events that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, leaving lasting psychological and emotional impacts. When the effects of trauma linger, they may develop into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition marked by intrusive memories, heightened anxiety, and avoidance behaviours. PTSD can disrupt daily life, affecting relationships, work, and one’s overall well-being. Effective treatment focuses on understanding and processing these traumatic memories, empowering individuals to regain control and find pathways toward healing and resilience.

Our Intake Process

1

Informal Assessment

Your first 1 – 2 sessions will involve an informal assessment of your current difficulties to ensure that DBT is a good fit for your needs and treatment goals.

2

Pre-Treatment

Adherent DBT involves a 4 – 6 session pre-treatment phase. This essential step in the process ensures that you have a fully informed understanding of DBT including how it fits your life worth living goals, use of dialectics, working with the target hierarchy, exploring the Biosocial Theory, and evaluating the strategies and commitments involved in the program.

3

Starting the DBT Program

If you and the team feel DBT is a good fit, we will enroll you in one of our DBT skills groups, schedule individual weekly DBT sessions, and start phone coaching.

Treatments Within Our DBT Treatment Track

A comprehensive outpatient program designed for those with BPD and/or individuals struggling with pervasive emotion and relationship difficulties. The model includes skills training in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness alongside weekly individual therapy, phone skills coaching, and a consultation team for therapists.

A novel, highly specialized and innovative adaptation of DBT designed to treat an eating disorder in the context of co-occurring conditions such as suicide, self-injury, trauma, and/or substance use. Treatment includes weekly individual therapy, skills group training, phone skills coaching, and a MED-DBT consult team for therapists.

A treatment for individuals struggling with BPD and/or emotion regulation difficulties in the context of PTSD. This treatment Integrates DBT theory, structure, and skills with one of the gold-standard trauma treatments (prolonged exposure therapy) to address trauma-related symptoms and enhance emotional resilience.

An alternative to DBT-PE, this treatment is also designed for people with BPD and/or emotion regulation difficulties in the context of PTSD. Adapts DBT techniques and other trauma-based interventions to help individuals manage PTSD symptoms and improve overall functioning.

For some clients, skills-only treatment can be an ideal stand-alone or adjunctive treatment. Our DBT skills-only program is based on evidence-based practice and focuses on practical skills in four areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help our clients manage stress and improve daily functioning. Please note that this group may not be suitable for all clients, particularly those with active suicidal ideation and/or self-injurious behaviors.

We offer specialized support for caregivers and parents of individuals in our DBT program. Our services help caregivers understand and apply DBT principles, learn how to support the family’s emotional needs, improve communication, and manage distress effectively.

The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Team

Our multidisciplinary team includes our psychiatrist, psychologists, registered dietitians, social workers, and registered psychotherapists, all of whom have extensive clinical training in providing DBT.