Therapy approach
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
A therapy that holds two things at once: accepting yourself as you are, while working to change the patterns that cause the most pain.
You can hold two truths at the same time.
DBT asks you to hold both at once.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy combines cognitive-behavioural techniques with concepts from mindfulness practice. Developed by Marsha Linehan, it was built for people whose emotions feel too big, too fast, or too hard to contain, and who need practical skills, not just insight.
The feeling arrives before you have a name for it.
Something small happens (a text that didn't come, a look you couldn't read), and the reaction is already bigger than the moment. You know it's disproportionate. That awareness doesn't slow it down.
You've tried to just stop reacting. That doesn't work either. The intensity isn't a choice, and treating it like one only adds shame to the original feeling.
DBT doesn't ask you to feel less. It teaches you what to do when you feel too much.
In a session, your therapist helps you build a specific set of skills: ways to stay present when emotions surge, tolerate distress without making it worse, and communicate what you need without pushing people away.
Common concerns DBT is used for
DBT is used for a range of mental health concerns. Whether it fits depends on the person and the clinician's assessment.
- Emotional instability: intense or rapidly shifting emotions that feel difficult to manage
- Borderline personality disorder: one of the conditions DBT can be particularly helpful for
- Self-harm behaviours: building safer alternatives to managing overwhelming distress
- Relationship difficulties: patterns of conflict, withdrawal, or fear of abandonment
- Substance use: developing healthier ways of coping with distress
- Coping with stress: practical skills for handling life's challenges
Two modes, one week.
DBT typically combines weekly individual therapy with a skills training group. In individual sessions, you work on specific challenges and develop personal strategies. In group, you learn and practise four core skill sets: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
The two modes reinforce each other. Group gives you the skills; individual helps you apply them to what's actually happening in your life.
Therapists who use DBT
Dr. Cathryn Harris
Registered Psychologist
PhD, C.Psych.
Couples, Families, Individuals
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Cathy Penny
Registered Social Worker
BA, BSW, MSW, RRP, RSW
Couples, Families, Individuals
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Rev. Chad Tomlinson
Registered Psychotherapist
MTS, MEd, MA, OCT, RP
Couples, Families, Individuals
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Gretchen Savery
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
MA, BA, RP (Qualifying)
Families, Individuals
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Hanah Dimitrijevic
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
MA, RP (Qualifying)
Individuals, Families
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Lisa Bynoe-Stevens
Registered Psychotherapist
BASc, MDiv, CSFT, RP
Couples, Families, Individuals
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Veesta Mavandadi
Registered Psychological Associate
MA, BSc, C.Psych.Assoc.
Individuals, Families
View profileDBT can be part of the plan without becoming the whole plan.
Most therapists are trained in more than one approach. Good care is not about forcing every concern through the same model. It's about drawing on the right tools at the right time, guided by what you're working through and how therapy is progressing.
DBT without the jargon.
CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thought patterns. DBT adds a strong emphasis on acceptance: learning to tolerate distress and sit with difficult emotions rather than immediately trying to change them. It also includes a structured skills training component that CBT typically doesn't.
The full DBT model includes group skills training, but your therapist can adapt the approach. Some people start with individual sessions and add group later, or learn the skills one-on-one.
It varies with the person and what you're working on. Your therapist will talk through the expected length with you at the start and review it as you go. The skills are designed to become part of how you manage your life long term.
No. DBT can be particularly helpful for people living with BPD, and it is also used for emotional instability, self-harm, substance use, relationship difficulties and coping with stress: situations where intense emotions are hard to manage.
Yes. Most Bayridge therapists offer both in-person and online sessions. Our Intake Specialists can tell you what group options are running now.
No. Our Intake Specialists can help match you to a therapist based on what you're experiencing. A diagnosis is not required to begin.
Care you can lean on
Sessions with our registered therapists are covered by most extended health and workplace benefit plans. Not sure what yours includes? We're happy to help you check before you book.
Sessions typically start at $150 and vary by therapist. Not sure where to begin? Our Intake Specialists can talk through fees, coverage, and which therapist fits what you are facing. Call (905) 319-1488 during business hours.
Ready when you are. We're here to listen.
Not sure which approach fits? You don't have to be. Our Intake Specialists match you to a therapist trained for what you're facing.