Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in California

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment that focuses on helping you build practical skills to manage emotions, tolerate distress, improve relationships, and stay grounded during difficult moments.

DBT is especially helpful if you feel emotionally overwhelmed, react strongly to stress, or struggle to cope with intense feelings in ways that feel effective or sustainable.

Many people seek DBT when emotions feel overwhelming or hard to control. You may feel like your emotional responses are stronger than you want them to be, or that they sometimes lead to behaviors you later regret.

You may experience:

• Intense emotions that feel difficult to regulate
• Feeling overwhelmed by stress or conflict
• Difficulty calming down once upset
• Impulsive reactions or behaviors
• Trouble maintaining stable relationships
• Feeling “all or nothing” emotionally
• Anxiety, irritability, or emotional sensitivity
• Feeling misunderstood or unsupported by others

If this sounds familiar, DBT can help you develop tools to better understand and manage your emotional world.

DBT is a structured form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that was originally developed to help people with intense emotional sensitivity. Over time, it has been shown to be effective for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, depression, and chronic stress.

DBT focuses on balancing acceptance and change—helping you accept your current experience while also building skills to create meaningful change in your life.

DBT teaches practical skills in four main areas:

Learning to stay present and aware of your thoughts, emotions, and surroundings without judgment.

Developing tools to get through crisis moments without making the situation worse.

Understanding your emotions and learning strategies to reduce emotional intensity over time.

Improving communication, boundaries, and relationship skills while maintaining self-respect.

DBT is designed to help you feel more in control of your emotions and responses, even during stressful or triggering situations.

Through DBT, you can:

• Reduce emotional overwhelm
• Improve coping during stressful moments
• Decrease impulsive reactions
• Strengthen communication and boundaries
• Build more stable relationships
• Increase emotional awareness and regulation
• Feel more grounded and present in daily life

In therapy, DBT skills are typically introduced gradually and practiced in real-life situations. You will learn practical tools that can be used both inside and outside of sessions.

We may focus on:

• Identifying emotional triggers and patterns
• Learning specific coping strategies for distress
• Practicing mindfulness and grounding skills
• Improving communication and boundary-setting
• Applying skills to real-life challenges and relationships

The process is collaborative, and skills are tailored to your needs and goals.

I use DBT in a flexible, client-centered way, adapting skills to fit your unique experiences and challenges. Rather than a rigid skills program, DBT is integrated into therapy based on what feels most relevant and helpful to you.

Depending on your needs, DBT may be combined with other approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Brainspotting, and trauma-informed care.

My goal is to help you build both immediate coping tools and long-term emotional resilience.

DBT may be helpful if you are experiencing:

• Emotional intensity or overwhelm
• Difficulty managing stress or conflict
• Anxiety or mood instability
• Relationship challenges
• Impulsive or reactive behaviors
• Feeling stuck in patterns that are hard to change

If you're unsure whether DBT is the right fit, we can explore your goals together and decide on an approach that best supports your needs.

You don’t have to feel controlled by your emotions or stuck in overwhelming patterns. DBT can help you build practical skills to feel more grounded, balanced, and in control of your life.

If you're ready, I invite you to schedule an appointment and begin learning tools that support emotional stability and well-being.