Denver, CO Dialectical Behavior Therapy & Substance Abuse

Dialectical behavior therapy (also known as DBT) gives you new skills and tools to deal with your emotions and resolve conflict in relationships.

What Is DBT and how does It help with substance abuse treatment?

Dialectical behavior therapy (or DBT) comes from cognitive behavioral therapy and was created by a psychologist, Dr. Marsha Linehan, as a way of treating borderline personality disorder. It’s an effective treatment for a variety of mental health conditions, including eating disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, 

DBT for substance abuse works by regulating emotions, living in the moment, improving relationships and coming up with effective ways of addressing stress (or even distress).

What does DBT look like at Golden Peak Recovery?

Dialectical behavior therapy is an adaptable modality that can work well in both a one-on-one setting, and in a group setting. You may benefit from DBT as part of individual therapy, exploring its application to your addiction and recovery, as well as any co-occurring mental health conditions you may have. Or, the clinical team at Golden Peak Recovery might incorporate dialectical behavioral therapy into your group therapy, allowing you to work with others to help make the principles of DBT more natural and automatic. We’ll work closely with you to help determine the best approach for you.

What does DBT do for people in recovery?

Dialectical behavioral therapy is based on the power of opposites. And change takes place through dialogue and interaction between those two opposites. DBT hinges on the a few basic ideas to create self-acceptance: 

• Everything is interconnected. 
• Change cannot be avoided. 
• Opposites interact for a common goal. 

The four areas of dialectical behavior therapy

• Mindfulness deals with your ability to be present in the current moment. 
• Distress tolerance seeks to allow you to deal with negative emotions, rather than trying to escape from it. 
• Emotion regulation helps you manage and even change difficult emotions that may be causing challenges in your life. 
• Interpersonal effectiveness helps you communicate with others assertively while strengthening your relationships.

How can DBT affect your recovery?

The therapists at Golden Peak Recovery use a variety of tools and techniques to build your self-confidence and help you succeed in addiction treatment and recovery. Dialectical behavioral therapy for substance abuse is an especially helpful approach, especially for those dealing with co-occurring mental health conditions. We can help it work for you, too. To learn more about DBT and how it can work in tandem with our other treatment approaches, just reach out to Golden Peak Recovery. We look forward to speaking with you!