Balance between poles
Dialectical strategies help therapist and patient move past extreme positions and balance acceptance and change, the two forces that sustain the treatment.
What Is DBT
The therapy that unites clinical structure and radical acceptance.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured, evidence-based treatment created by Dr. Marsha Linehan for people with intense emotional dysregulation. Today it is the most scientifically supported approach for borderline personality disorder and for suicidal and self-harming behavior.
Created by Dr. Marsha Linehan · University of WashingtonDecades of scientific evidence
The dialectic behind the name
Two axes that, together, drive real change.
The first axis is a treatment that is highly structured and organized, giving both therapist and patient confidence in the effectiveness of each procedure and clear visibility into progress toward goals.
The second axis is how that work happens: human, warm, and validating, with an empathetic, compassionate, non-judgmental stance.
Acceptance
Validating what the patient is living right now.
Empathy, compassion, and a non-judgmental read of experience. It is what makes the treatment human and possible.
Change
Building a life worth living.
Clear goals, structured procedures, and visible progress, one behavior at a time.
← AcceptanceChange →
In clinical practice, the DBT therapist moves constantly between both poles. It is this combination that drives effective behavioral and emotional change in severe, complex cases.
Who created DBT
Dr. Marsha Linehan, PhD, ABPP.
Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her research applies behavioral models to suicidal behavior, drug abuse, and borderline personality disorder.
Author of four foundational treatment manuals, she founded the Linehan Institute and Behavioral Tech, which spread evidence-based behavioral treatments worldwide. That is the source of DBT Brasil's certification.
University of Washingtonscientific validation of DBT in Seattle
Four manualsthe worldwide technical foundation of DBT
Linehan Institute · Behavioral Techglobal reach for evidence-based treatments
DBT Brasilthe only certified institute in the country
"A life worth living."
Dr. Marsha Linehan · creator of DBTLetter by letter
Understanding the acronym.
Focus on what you do
DBT assesses relevant behaviors and directs them toward the patient's goals, building a life worth living.
A distinctive format
While many psychotherapies rely on a single mode of care, DBT combines four core modes of treatment that work together.
Who it is recommended for
Built for the most difficult cases.
DBT was originally developed to treat patients with intense emotional dysregulation who show suicidal behavior and chronic self-harm without suicidal intent.
It is the most effective therapeutic approach for borderline personality disorder (BPD). And the evidence for treatment is no longer limited to that diagnosis.
Borderline personality disorderthe approach's largest body of evidence
Eating disorders
Substance use
Major depressive disorderincluding chronic depression
Bipolar disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
ADHDattention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Couples with intense conflict
Other clinical conditionswith emotional dysregulation at their core
How treatment works
Four modes that work together.
This is the format that sets DBT apart from single-mode psychotherapies: each track covers a function of treatment, from the therapy room to the patient's real life.
+ 01
Individual therapy
The core of treatment: motivation, goals, and managing behaviors that threaten life or the therapy itself.
+ 02
Skills training
In group format, patients learn mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
+ 03
Between-session coaching
Brief contact with the therapist during moments of crisis, to apply skills in real-life situations.
+ 04
Consultation team
DBT therapists don't work alone: the team sustains treatment quality and supports the people providing care.
DBT Brasil Network
Institutions that trust us.
Clinics, psychology centers, and partner institutes that make up our Dialectical Behavior Therapy training network.
For professionals
Practice DBT with the people who learned it at the source.
DBT Brasil's training programs prepare psychologists and psychiatrists to use these tools properly and proficiently, with official Behavioral Tech certification.