One of the first questions you are probably wondering is what is the difference between Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)? The truth is there isn’t a whole lot of difference, other than DBT has much more inwards looking than CBT and it can be more group based than CBT which is more personal focused rather than general. DBT was developed by US psychologist Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s and was much more aimed at those of us with BPD than CBT ever was in therapy making it much more successful. Anyway, let’s take a deeper look at this treatment and see how good it really is…
What is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)?
As I have already said DBT has much more inwards looking meaning you will be doing a lot of accepting who you which often takes part in a group session rather than an individual setting, but you will also have those. Each appointment you have will often have its own structure and goals for that session making it much more confrontational than other treatments especially when you are in a group setting. But this also helps you to deal with deep-seated problems especially Cognitive Distortions and Emotional Instability.
Does Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Work?
I have to sound harsh here to be truthful and tell you that it will only really work if you are ready for it to work. You need to be in a mindset that is ready to make positive changes in yourself, you will need to work harder and braver than with CBT (especially with the group setting) and you need to be ready to look forward with your life rather than backwards. What I am saying is this treatment might not be right for some people, but if you even start to believe you are ready and in the right mind to move forward it could well be the right one for you.
How Can I Get Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Here in the UK?
While you can indeed get a course of DBT for free on the NHS here you will probably have to wait a long time to get on the course in the first place as it goes in set blocks of treatment and is not something you can join half-way through. this is mostly down to it being a group session rather than a single session. If you live in England you can use the NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT), but in Wales and Scotland, you need to speak to your Community Mental Health Team (C.M.H.T.). Sadly based on personal experience, you will have to fight for this as it is not forthcoming in any way.
The good news is paying for this privately is often much cheaper thanks to the group session with each booking coasting as little as £20 per-person for the group sessions and upwards of £40 for an individual setting. However, much like those sessions on the NHS, you might have to wait a long time before getting into a program as again it will be a set course for a group, but you can also pay for this via individual sessions if you are not sure on the group environment.
As with any of these BPD treatments before you might need to try a combination of them before you find that winning combination, but do stick with it. If you want any help or advice relating to BPD do drop me an email via the contact us page and one of our writers will answer it ASAP.
