Dialectical Behaviour Therapy DBT Therapy Calgary
We offer DBT Therapy Calgary to help manage intense emotions and improve relationships.
What is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to help individuals struggling with emotional regulation and self-destructive behaviours. The term “dialectical” refers to the balance between two opposing forces: acceptance and change. In DBT, individuals learn to accept themselves and their feelings while simultaneously working toward positive changes in behaviour and mindset.
What are the core principles of DBT?
DBT is built on four key components: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Through these principles, DBT provides tools to help you cope with overwhelming emotions, reduce impulsive behaviours, and build healthier relationships.
How Does DBT Therapy Work?
DBT can involve a combination of individual counselling, group skills training, phone coaching, and consultation teams to provide comprehensive support.
The therapy is structured to teach clients specific skills in a systematic, step-by-step approach. Over time, clients learn to apply these skills to everyday challenges, improving their emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life.
Stage 1: Stabilization and Symptom Reduction
In this stage, DBT helps clients learn to manage the most urgent and disruptive symptoms. This might include addressing self-harm behaviours, suicidal thoughts, or emotional instability.
DBT provides strategies to help you regain control over overwhelming emotions and begin to build a foundation for recovery.
Stage 2: Emotional Processing and Trauma
In this stage, clients work on processing unresolved trauma, negative emotions, and difficult memories. DBT can help you address past experiences that contribute to emotional pain and create strategies for emotional regulation and healing.
Stage 3: Building a Life Worth Living
Once stabilization and emotional processing have occurred, DBT focuses on improving quality of life, increasing self-esteem, and building a meaningful, fulfilling life. In this phase, DBT helps individuals set and achieve personal goals, improve interpersonal skills, and strengthen their ability to manage day-to-day challenges.
Stage 4: Promoting Ongoing Growth
The final stage of DBT focuses on continued growth, allowing individuals to navigate life’s challenges with the skills they have developed. DBT encourages ongoing self-improvement and resilience, empowering clients to maintain progress and adapt to new challenges that may arise.
Core DBT Skills
DBT focuses on teaching four core skills to help individuals manage their emotions, relationships, and behaviours more effectively:
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, without judgement. It helps individuals become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, which allows them to respond to situations with greater clarity and calm. It’s a foundational skill in DBT that improves overall self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Distress Tolerance
Distress tolerance skills are designed to help individuals tolerate emotional pain and discomfort without resorting to harmful behaviours. DBT teaches you how to cope with crises, such as anxiety or anger, without escalating the situation or engaging in self-destructive behaviours like self-harm or substance use.
Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation skills help individuals identify and manage intense emotions, reducing the likelihood of impulsive reactions or emotional outbursts. DBT teaches strategies for recognizing, labeling, and managing emotions in healthy ways, allowing individuals to feel more in control of their emotional experiences.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness skills help individuals improve communication, assertiveness, and relationships. DBT teaches strategies for expressing needs and setting boundaries while maintaining healthy, positive relationships with others.
Who Can Benefit from DBT Therapy Calgary?
DBT was originally developed to treat BPD, which is characterized by emotional instability, impulsive behaviours, and difficulties in relationships. DBT is the gold-standard treatment for BPD, helping individuals reduce self-destructive behaviours, improve emotional regulation, and develop healthier relationships.
Depression and Anxiety
People struggling with depression and anxiety often experience negative thought patterns, overwhelming emotions, and difficulty coping with stress. DBT helps individuals address the underlying emotional patterns that contribute to depression and anxiety, teaching skills for managing emotions and reducing negative thinking.
Self-Harm and Suicidal Behaviour
DBT is particularly effective for individuals who engage in self-harm or have suicidal thoughts, providing strategies for managing distress and urges for self-harm and teaching healthier coping mechanisms to deal with emotional pain.
Eating Disorders
DBT is also effective in treating eating disorders, including binge eating and bulimia — helping individuals regulate emotions and develop healthier ways of coping with negative feelings that may contribute to disordered eating behaviours.
Trauma and PTSD
Individuals who have experienced trauma or are living with post-traumatic stress disorder can benefit from DBT’s emphasis on emotional regulation and trauma processing — helping process the emotions and memories related to trauma while teaching coping skills to manage emotional distress.
Substance Use and Addiction
DBT can help individuals struggling with addiction by addressing the emotional factors that drive substance use and teaching healthy coping mechanisms to manage emotional triggers and reduce impulsive behaviour.
Relationship Problems
DBT can also help individuals and couples improve their communication and conflict resolution skills — teaching how to set boundaries, communicate assertively, and maintain healthy relationships even in the face of conflict.
Why Choose Solasta Counselling for DBT in Calgary?
We offer DBT with the support of trained and experienced Calgary therapists who specialize in helping clients develop essential emotional regulation and coping skills. We understand that emotional struggles can be overwhelming, and we’re here to provide a supportive, non-judgemental environment to help you navigate your challenges and build a more stable, fulfilling life.
How Do I Know if DBT Is Right for Me?
DBT is ideal if you find it challenging to regulate your emotions, have difficulty managing relationships, or engage in self-destructive behaviours. If you are struggling with intense emotions or unresolved trauma, DBT can help you develop practical skills to improve your emotional well-being. Our team is committed to your healing and growth, providing tailored DBT therapy that focuses on your unique needs.
Calgary Counselling and Psychology Services
Our Calgary psychologists have a wide range of experience and expertise in understanding the unique needs of our clients and helping you reach your therapy goals.
CAP
All of our psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists.
PAA
Many of our psychologists are members of the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.
CCPA
Many of our psychologists are members of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
Therapists Specializing in DBT Therapy
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Our Calgary Office Space
Our thoughtfully designed counselling spaces are crafted to create a warm, welcoming environment where you can feel completely at ease.
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Book Online
Choose a date and time that fits your schedule and receive instant confirmation of your appointment.
In-person or Online
Visit our welcoming Calgary office or meet with your therapist online from the comfort of your home.
FAQs
Do I need to know if DBT is the right approach before I book?
No — your therapist will assess what you’re working through and let you know if DBT fits, or suggest a blend of approaches. You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or a specific request.
Is DBT only for people with borderline personality disorder?
No. DBT was originally developed for BPD and remains the gold-standard treatment for it, but it’s also widely used for self-harm, chronic emotional intensity, depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship difficulties — you don’t need a BPD diagnosis to benefit.
Does DBT involve group sessions, or just one-on-one?
DBT can involve individual counselling, plus group skills training and phone coaching elsewhere depending on what’s available and what fits your situation — your therapist will discuss what a realistic plan looks like for you specifically.
How long does DBT typically take?
This varies significantly depending on what you’re working through — some clients see meaningful change in the skills-focused early stages within a number of weeks, while more complex or longstanding patterns benefit from longer-term work. Your therapist will discuss a realistic timeline early on.
Is DBT covered by insurance?
Sessions with a Registered Psychologist and Registered Provisional Psychologists are covered by most extended health benefit plans. Solasta offers direct billing to 30+ insurers. Visit our fees page to confirm pricing and coverage.
Is DBT available online?
Yes — DBT is available online across Alberta, as well as in person at our Calgary office.