DBT combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which identifies and changes unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and dialectics, which is learning to hold opposing truths at the same time

The core goals of DBT include:

• Emotional regulation: understanding and managing intense emotions

• Distress tolerance: surviving painful moments without making them worse

• Interpersonal effectiveness: communicating needs and maintaining healthy boundaries

• Mindfulness: staying grounded in the present moment

DBT was originally created for individuals with chronic emotion dysregulation and self-harm behaviors, particularly borderline personality disorder. 

Today, it is used to support individuals experiencing:

• PTSD and trauma impacts

• Anxiety and depression

• Substance use concerns

• Eating disorders

• Impulse-control issues

• Intense, rapidly shifting emotions

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for trauma survivors refers to a trauma-informed therapeutic approach that emphasizes healing through safe dialogue, relational connection, and meaning-making, while also incorporating behavioral skills that support emotional regulation, grounding, and safety.

This approach prioritizes:

• Emotional, physical, and relational safety

• Choice and autonomy

• Empowerment rather than pathologizing

• Understanding trauma’s impact on the nervous system, emotions, and relationships

This approach draws from dialogical therapy, which emphasizes:

• Genuine, authentic connection between therapist and survivor

• Mutual respect and shared meaning-making

• Seeing the person, not just their symptoms

• Honoring the survivor’s voice and agency

This foundation is especially important for trauma survivors who may have experienced powerlessness, silencing, or relational harm.

Behavioral skill-building may include:

• Emotion regulation

• Distress tolerance

• Grounding and nervous system stabilization

• Present-moment awareness

• Behavioral activation

• Boundary-setting and communication skills

These skills help survivors feel more stabilized, resourced, and in control.

This approach is not about fixing a person. It is about co-creating understanding, supporting meaning-making, and helping survivors reconnect with themselves in a way that feels safe and empowering.

A dialogical-behavioral approach supports trauma recovery by:

• Creating a safe relational space

• Strengthening emotional and body regulation

• Helping survivors reconnect to their voice, needs, and identity

• Reducing trauma-related overwhelm, avoidance, or shutdown

• Supporting healthier relationships and boundaries

• Empowering survivors to make values-based choices