Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a modern treatment option that relies on unique methods to produce positive change. A DBT program for mental health can serve as a vital resource for both teens and adults. That’s true because therapy comes with a number of significant benefits. Together, these benefits have been shown to provide wide-ranging support for mental illness recovery.
Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Programs
#1: DBT for Mental Health Fosters Acceptance and Change
What is DBT? Dialectical behavior therapy is a treatment based on the combined use of two distinct concepts. The first of these concepts is accepting the reality shaped by mental illness. The therapy helps your teen cultivate two acceptance-based skills:
- Mindfulness of what’s happening in the present moment
- Greater tolerance of distressing thoughts and emotions
By accepting their reality, your teen sets the stage for the second DBT concept: change. The therapy focuses on two specific kinds of change. The first is improving the ability to practice emotional self-control. In addition, your teen learns how to communicate effectively without generating conflict. In combination, acceptance and change make all other DBT benefits possible.
#2: Reducing Suicide Risks with a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program
Dialectical behavior therapy was first created to treat borderline personality disorder, or BPD. People with BPD have a well-known risk for suicidal thinking. They also commit suicide much more often than the general population.
The skills developed through DBT can help reduce your teen’s suicide risks. They do so, in part, by increasing distress tolerance. Improved emotional control and communication skills are also vital preventive tools.
#3: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Improvements in Important Relationships
Teens often have a hard time expressing themselves. That’s true even when mental illness is not a factor. When mental illness is present, communication issues can worsen significantly. Far too often, the result is a breakdown in key relationships.
In DBT, your teen learns how to speak their mind while remaining respectful toward others. This skill can lead to real improvements in the ability to communicate. In turn, it can also help lay the groundwork for improved relationships.
#4: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program Can Boost Self-Esteem
Today, mental health professionals are increasingly aware of the damaging effects of low self-esteem. Those effects may include more numerous or more severe symptoms for a teen with mental illness. By going through the process of DBT, your teenager learns a variety of problem-solving skills. These skills tend to foster a sense of self-mastery. In turn, self-mastery can lead to a rise in self-esteem and improved control over the effects of mental illness.
#5: DBT Can Improve Your Teen’s Overall Quality of Life
The main goal of dialectical behavior therapy is to reduce the symptoms of mental illness. However, the therapy can have a much wider impact on your teen. That’s true because the skills learned in DBT apply to life in general. That includes the time your teenager spends:
- In school
- At home
- Hanging out with friends and family
The end result is often a general improvement in your child’s quality of life.
Get More Information on the Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy at Imagine Fort Collins
Have any more questions about what DBT is and how it works? Turn to the mental health professionals at Imagine Fort Collins. We have extensive experience with DBT for teens. Our expertise allows us to explain the benefits of the therapy in great detail.
Imagine’s expertise also makes it possible to offer customized DBT programs for teenagers. With our help, you and your teen can create a program that fits your unique personal circumstances. To learn more, just call us today at 888.291.2309 or fill out our online message form.