My Flexible DBT Approach

What DBT Is

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based, skills-focused approach that helps people better understand and manage emotions, navigate relationships, and cope more effectively with distress.

I am a DBT-Certified clinician (C-DBT), and my work is primarily informed by this model. I draw from all four DBT modules—mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness—depending on what feels most relevant in treatment.

In sessions, we focus on building practical, usable skills that support emotional awareness, more effective responses to stress, and healthier ways of relating to others.

Therapy is active and collaborative. We focus on discussion, skill-building, and practicing tools in real time so they carry over into your day-to-day life.

How I Use DBT Flexibly

While DBT is the foundation of my work, therapy is not rigid or manualized.

Instead of moving through skills in a set order, I integrate DBT tools based on what feels most helpful in the moment and what you’re actually dealing with that week.

This allows therapy to stay responsive to your experience as it shifts over time.

Alongside DBT, I also draw from CBT-informed and other evidence-based approaches when helpful, especially to support coping strategies and better understanding of patterns that keep showing up.

There is also space for slowing down when needed, stepping back from skills work to reflect, make meaning of experiences, and understand what’s happening on a deeper level.

The goal is to support both immediate coping and longer-term change in a way that feels steady, manageable, and realistic in daily life.

Who This Approach May Be a Good Fit For

This approach is often helpful for people who experience:

  • intense or rapidly shifting emotions

  • difficulty regulating emotions under stress

  • impulsivity or self-destructive behaviors

  • ongoing relationship challenges or patterns that feel hard to change

  • traits of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

  • anxiety, depression, or the impact of difficult life experiences

  • disordered eating patterns