Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and RO-DBT in Long Beach & Irvine
We are Southern California’s premier Comprehensive DBT and RO-DBT group practice serving individuals and families both in-person and virtually. Our team of clinicians is foundationally trained in DBT and Level-3 Trained in Radically Open DBT.
What is Standard DBT and RO-DBT?
Most of mental health clinicians, workers, and clients may be familiar with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) or have encountered it in some way. Initially developed by Marsha Linehan in the late 1980’s for treating Borderline Personality Disorder, it is now recognized and validated as a great evidence-based therapy for a number of mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, ADHD, PTSD, self-harm and suicidal tendencies. The goal of DBT is to alleviate the intense emotional pain associated with these mental health issues.
The four pillars of standard DBT are:
Individual therapy
Group skills training
Phone coaching, if needed for crises intervention between sessions
Consultation group for health care providers to stay motivated and discuss patient care
The four modules of DBT:
Mindfulness
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Distress Tolerance
Emotional Regulation
Standard-DBT
Standard-DBT in its original and ongoing form targets thinking patterns, emotions and behaviors associated with emotional dysregulation and overwhelming distress – or broadly speaking concerns with Emotional Undercontrol (UC). But what about the people on the other end of the spectrum? Those who can oftentimes find it difficult to cope with emotion, are more likely to over-cope or have excessive self-control? This is referred to as Emotional Overcontrol (OC) and is treated through Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT).
Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT)
RO-DBT is an evidence-based treatment developed by Dr. Thomas Lynch designed for those who struggle with overcontrol of emotions. Individuals who are emotionally over-controlled often experience:
Social isolation
Difficulty responding to change
Risk avoidant behaviors and
Painful interpersonal relationships
More often, these individuals have perfectionist tendencies, struggle with loneliness, are overly cautious and have trouble connecting with others. Ultimately, Standard-DBT and RO-DBT both target distress. Standard-DBT treats emotion when it is experienced as out of control and disinhibited. However, in the case of RO-DBT distress is often inside, not expressed to others directly or can be suppressed entirely.
UNDERCONTROLLED:
Emotional Dysregulated and Impulsive
Do you suffer from any of the following?
Suicidal behavior or self-injury
Chronic problems with depression, anxiety and anger
Self-destructive behaviors
Intense and volatile emotional reactivity and difficulty returning to stable mood.
Unstable self-image and sense of emptiness
Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality
Feelings of paranoia and victimization
Fear of abandonment
Unstable or changing relationship
OVERCONTROLLED:
Emotionally Constrictive and Risk Averse
Do you experience any of the following?
Suicidal behavior or self-injury
Chronic problems with depression and anxiety
Restrictive eating patterns
Are overly cautious, careful and dutiful
Avoidance of uncertainty or unplanned risk
Compulsive rehearsal, premeditation and planning
Rigid rule-governed behavior
Smiling when distressed
Perfectionist tendencies
Struggle with loneliness