Comprehensive interview on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with Laura Schenck, M.A., Ph.D. student and psychotherapist specializing in mindfulness-based behavioral therapies. Learn what dialectical behavior therapy is, how it differs from traditional CBT, and why it’s particularly effective for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and emotion regulation challenges. Discover DBT’s foundation in mindfulness—directing nonjudgmental, open, accepting, and curious attention to the present moment. Understand the four core DBT skills modules: mindfulness (present-moment awareness), distress tolerance (sitting with uncomfortable emotions without self-destructive behaviors), emotion regulation (identifying and managing emotional states), and interpersonal effectiveness (communicating and relating to others effectively). Explore the “wise mind” concept—accessing deep intuitive knowing that balances emotion mind and reason mind. Laura explains how DBT teaches that “in order to move through painful experiences, we must be willing to identify them, accept their presence, refrain from judgment, and ultimately release them.” Includes guidance on DBT training resources and applications for clients beyond BPD diagnosis.
Facing Repression
What Is Repression? Repression is one strong defense, With it, you have a total lack of recall, No thoughts, feelings or memories, Of the painful event(s). In the conscious memory, that is. How can that be, you ask? People have different things to bury: Abandonment or neglect, Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Other issues, Or some […]
How Does a Person Know Her True Self?
Who Are You? How does a person emerge? Become who she is, Know what she likes, Or what she wants? It may seem obvious… A little baby is born, Everyone is celebrating, The little baby is showered with love, Her milestones are noted with glee, Lower order needs of Maslow’s hierarchy are all met, Baby […]
Exploring Alice Miller’s “The Drama of the Gifted Child”
Have you read the book The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self by Alice Miller? If not, I highly recommend it. Alice Miller has much wisdom and knowledge to share with you – whether you are a mental health professional or a lay person trying to get a better understanding of […]
The Box in Art Therapy: Inside and Outside of Self
Have you ever been asked to design a box to represent yourself? In one of my classes for art therapy for clinical social work, we were asked to do so. This is the fifth post in the art therapy** series. The outside of the box was to be decorated (painted, glued, drawn on etc) in […]
