How DBT Skills Can Help You Manage Emotions and Build a Life Worth Living

Catalyss Counseling
Aug 4
3 min read

An adult who is looking to learn how a DBT skills group can help them manage their emotions and build a life worth living

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy…sounds ominous, doesn’t it?

A Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT for short) group teaches how to manage yourself so that you can handle life more effectively. I have been teaching DBT for over 25 years and it has changed my life.

I have learned to handle myself in situations that used to baffle me. That’s why I so enjoy teaching the core concepts of DBT. Let's dive into how DBT skills can help you manage your emotions and build a life worth living.

How DBT Helps You Cope with Life Changes

Change is constant and inevitable. Life is full of change, some of it is joyful and sometimes it involves suffering. DBT helps you to accept the changes in life, create the changes you want, and find a life worth living. Perhaps you tend to feel emotions rather intensely and you get easily overwhelmed by them to the extent that your emotional reactions are out of control.

Or maybe you tend to respond impulsively in distressing situations, then regret your reaction later. Maybe sometimes it feels like you are not even in your own body. And perchance, you have difficulty navigating interpersonal relationships and issues.

What to Expect in a DBT Skills Group

During a DBT skills group, you will learn skills, practice them, discuss how they can be applied in your daily life, and receive homework assignments to apply the skills throughout the week. The skills you learn will focus on improving mindful awareness, tolerating distress, regulating emotions, and navigating personal relationships.

You will be enhancing your capabilities: be in the present moment, tolerate distress, regulate emotions, and navigate interpersonal issues effectively. Each week you will be validated on the positive changes you are making.

The Four Core Modules of DBT Skills Training

DBT teaches four core factors for traversing life’s challenges:

Core Mindfulness – free yourself from over thinking and obsessing, let go of unhelpful thought loops
Distress Tolerance – tolerate the un-comfortableness that comes in living
Emotion Regulation – learn to name emotions, change emotions, and increase positive emotions
Interpersonal Effectiveness – ask for what you need and want, say no without feeling guilty, and cope with difficulties of close-bonded relationships

All of these factors are loaded with numerous skills to support your growth in each area. They all empower people to lead more fulfilling lives.

As I stated before: Life changes and change is inevitable, growth is optional. Why not boost the rest of your life by using proven and effective skills?

How We Can Help

If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed, reacting in ways you regret, or struggling to stay grounded when life gets intense, our DBT Group might be exactly what you need. You’ll learn practical tools to handle emotions, improve relationships, and find steadiness even when things feel messy.

I’ve seen these skills change lives and I’d love to help you build a life that feels more manageable and meaningful. Contact us today to learn more about our DBT group, we’d love to have you in group!

A couples counselor at Catalyss Counseling

Author Biography

Tom Henry is a therapist with Catalyss Counseling who helps high achieving, busy couples, including parents, to resolve conflicts, communicate clearly, find solutions, and identify the strengths of your relationship so you can rebuild trust, develop a connection, and create mutual respect. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.