Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has been shown to successfully treat a variety of disorders, including self-harm, Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

If your life seems more challenging because you suffer from any of these disorders, here are five reasons why DBT may be a great option for you:

1. DBT Validates Your Experience. Traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective, but its seemingly never-ending focus on change may be difficult for some people. If you find that your own experience is not recognized, you may withdraw from treatment, become angry, or both.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy developed in part as a response to this reaction, and makes validation in treatment a priority. A DBT therapist will recognize that a certain behavior, such as a disordered eating behavior, makes sense and is understandable within the context of your life or situation at that time while helping you to find healthier ways to cope. This mode of acceptance has increased many people’s adherence to treatment.

2. DBT Teaches Adaptive Skills. Another reason Dialectical Behavior Therapy developed is that the complexity of many clients’ disorders did not allow for a therapist to work on adaptive skills during the individual sessions or group sessions. For instance, if a therapist was trying to address suicide attempts or urges to self-harm, there simply was not enough time in the session to help the client learn and apply adaptive skills.

DBT teaches four skills – mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance – during DBT skills groups that are then reinforced through individual DBT sessions and phone coaching.

3. DBT Prioritizes Stages and Targets. Dialectical Behavior Therapy prioritizes what to address in therapy through a series of stages and targets. As the first priority, DBT addresses behaviors that could lead to a client’s death, interfere with therapy, and threaten the quality of life (Stage I).

In Stage II, the DBT therapist addresses what is called “inhibited emotional experiencing,” meaning that the client is under control and has a normal life expectancy, but is suffering in silence. Stages III and IV focus on challenges in living and having a spiritually fulfilling or connecting life.

4. DBT Models Balancing Acceptance and Change. The dialectical component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy means that therapists blend acceptance and change in a way that results in movement and flow during sessions.

This strategy is particularly helpful to those with Borderline Personality Disorder, who might have a tendency to become stuck in arguments and black-and-white thinking.

5. Your Therapist Receives Support. A final reason to seek Dialectical Behavior Therapy is that your therapist receives support themselves to make sure they are providing you the best treatment possible. In DBT, one goal is to enhance the therapist’s motivation to treat clients and enhance the therapist’s capabilities.

DBT therapists participate in weekly DBT consultation team meetings. The team helps the therapist stay balanced in his or her approach to the client while at the same time encouraging and supporting the therapist in applying various treatments.