Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT can be an effective therapy for anyone suffering psychologically or even if they just want to improve their emotional well -being.
CBT does not delve in the past but focuses on the here and now to help you tackle problems and build resilience.
CBT is used as part of “talk therapy” to initially help you be heard and seen and understood and clarify thoughts feelings and behavior. The counsellor or therapist can from there assist you identifying unhealthy patterns between thoughts and feelings and triggers.
CBT however may not be suitable as a short term solution for people who have unresolved trauma that is still automatically triggering off symptoms.
CBT is used in art therapy and solutions focused therapy and general counselling and can be used as part of life or business coaching sessions.
Although CBT is primarily used in counselling sessions, a therapeutic approach to counselling opens up more options to use other therapies to target particular patterns, in addition to CBT if the client is agreeable.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy has been designed to help those individuals who struggle with the intensity or depth of their emotions. There can be a number of reasons for such intensity. Addressing these reasons is important because we often revert to our ‘typical behaviours’ during times of stress. These behaviours may be unhealthy and damaging if they are extreme or are made with faulty perceptions. The core issues will vary from individual to individual and will be dependent on their experiences, their ability to manage stress and to manage their coping mechanisms.
Research indicates that treatment with DBT helps to strengthen an individual’s ability to handle any stress or traumas that present themselves without their acting in a destructive manner or losing control. It has been particularly helpful for those diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by unstable moods, relationships, and behaviors. The symptoms of BPD can vary in severity and may fluctuate over time.
While some people with BPD may experience a reduction in symptoms over time, others may continue to struggle with the condition throughout their lives. DBT can help individuals with BPD manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. It’s important to seek help from a mental health professional if you are experiencing symptoms of BPD or other mental health conditions, but a counsellor qualified in DBT can work along side your doctor and psychiatrist.
It’s common for people with a BPD diagnosis to look inward with a sense of self-blame, self-hate, confusion, and conflict. You may feel as though you’re broken or cursed. You may also believe that this disorder is an inescapable result of who you are and what you’ve experienced. Unfortunately, these beliefs and feelings keep BPD in place, leaving you feeling alone, ashamed, and tangled up in the disorder.
BPD is the most researched and treated personality disorder (Dingfelder 2004) in psychology, yet its causes are neither simple nor certain. There is no single best explanation as to why you display the symptoms of BPD and have the difficulties you do, but it might be helpful for you to explore the areas—genetics, psychological and social influences, and brain functioning—that have the greatest influence on the development of BPD (Benjamin 1996).
DBT has been very helpful for people – not necessarily diagnosed with BPD- but still experiencing volatile emotions and relationship problems.