Dialectical Living offers all programs ONLINE.
At Dialectical Living our approach is strength based, community and recovery focused. Our mandate is to provide accessible and accommodating DBT programs that fit different budgets, flexible schedules, have few restrictions, require no diagnosis and are anti-stigma, anti-oppressive and LGBTQ friendly. If you would like to meet the team please visit our About Us page.
Dialectical Living provides dialectical behaviour therapy or “DBT” to adults and teens with emotion regulation challenges in the form of 12 – 24 once per week group sessions. We have both Intro to DBT and an Advanced DBT Program. If you know you want to do the entire 24 weeks and sign up for both you will enjoy some savings signing up for full 24 weeks ahead. *Many of the studies for efficacy for DBT have been done with 20+ week programs. You can find more information about our teen group here.
Dialectical Living does not have requirements in terms of diagnoses and is self referral. Our only criteria is to have challenges regulating emotions.
We pride ourselves on making learning DBT engaging and interactive! We use videos, role plays, home practice teams, break out groups, games, interactive activities, DBT charades, and small group discussions. There are opening and closing mindfulness and take home practices each week. The group is taught by healthcare practitioners with Masters in Social Work (MSW, RSW) and each facilitator/therapist has extensive learning and experience with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. We come from a place of truly understanding/knowing having learned beyond the text book often bringing in powerful real life examples into the groups which help lead by example inspiring individuals to make real change in their lives.
Our program is covered on most insurance plans and also a medical expense write off on your taxes.
We teach the same course using the same content/workbook/home practices to families. We strongly recommend that families also learn DBT so that they can help in moments of crisis, learn how to deescalate and validate which are crucial for the person who has wonderfully sensitive emotions. We have a persons with BPD group and a separate group for families bringing families together who have loved ones with Emotion Regulation Disorder (BPD) Find information about our family group here.
Twelve weekly sessions as follows:
- Introduction: What is Borderline Personality Disorder (“ERD/BPD”); and DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Skills); Mindfulness
- Introduction to Mindfulness: Wise Mind, What Skills, How Skills, & Non-judgmental Stance
- Introduction to Distress Tolerance: ACCEPTS (Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing Away, Thoughts, Sensations)
- Self Care; Self-sooth using Vision, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch, Movement
- Introduction to Validation
- IMPROVE (Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxation, One thing in the moment, Vacation, Encouragement) the Moment, replacing a negative event with a more positive one.
- Pros and Cons – pros and cons of acting impulsively and not acting impulsively
- Radical Acceptance including acceptance exercises observing your breath, half-smile and awareness
- Turn the mind
- Willingness and willfulness
- Willing hands
- Intro to DEAR MAN – Learn to meet your objectives and maintain healthy relationships with DEAR (MAN, GIVE, and FAST)
- Introduction to diary cards
- Skills Consolidation and Review; Introduction to Advanced Courses
Intro to DBT is the prerequisite for the advanced DBT course.
It is recommended that you have an individual therapist for the duration of the course. You will acquire more skills learning and be able to apply them more readily into your life if you have a DBT therapist for the period of the group. Dialectical Living has several therapists to provide one on one therapy for the 12 weeks. Our rates are very reasonable/accessible and we may be able to work on a sliding scale or make other arrangements depending on situation.
