Our DBT program blends the highest standards of clinical professionalism with the warmth, privacy, and luxury of the Reflections environment. Whether clients are navigating overwhelming emotions, trauma responses, addictive patterns, or interpersonal difficulties, DBT gives them the structure and skill set needed to feel grounded, empowered, and in control of their inner world.

⭐ What Is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)?

Originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, DBT is an offshoot of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) designed specifically for individuals who experience intense emotions and difficulty regulating their nervous system. DBT combines behavioral science, mindfulness, and acceptance-based interventions to help clients build a life that feels stable, meaningful, and sustainable.

The word “dialectical” refers to balancing two truths:
accepting yourself as you are today
while also moving toward the changes you desire for your future.

This therapeutic framework is especially effective for individuals whose emotions feel overwhelming, unpredictable, or unmanageable.

⭐ Who Benefits Most from DBT at Reflections?

DBT is highly effective for clients experiencing:

Emotional overwhelm or instability
Trauma and PTSD
Substance use disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits
Anxiety and panic
Depression
Self-destructive behaviors
Impulse-control challenges
Difficulty navigating relationships
Dissociation or shutdown
High-achievement stress patterns

Many clients describe DBT as the first therapy that helps them understand why they behave the way they do and how to create new patterns that support long-term wellbeing.

⭐ Core Components of DBT at Reflections

Our DBT program includes the four foundational modules developed by Dr. Linehan. Each is taught in a trauma-informed, supportive, and individualized manner to help clients apply these skills to their daily lives.

1. Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the heart of DBT. Clients learn how to stay present, grounded, and connected to their internal experience without judgment. These skills are crucial for emotional regulation and recovery.

Clients practice:

Awareness of thoughts, sensations, and emotions
Staying present during triggers
Reducing emotional reactivity
Observing internal experiences without acting on them

Mindfulness strengthens self-awareness, helping clients respond rather than react.

2. Distress Tolerance

Distress Tolerance teaches clients how to navigate painful emotions, cravings, and crisis moments without returning to destructive behaviors.

Techniques include:

Grounding strategies
Sensory regulation
Crisis survival skills
Acceptance-based tools
Self-soothing methods

These skills are especially valuable during early sobriety, emotional triggering, or moments when clients feel overwhelmed or at risk of relapsing.

3. Emotion Regulation

Emotion Regulation helps clients understand emotional cues, increase emotional stability, and decrease vulnerability to emotional spirals.

Clients learn:

How emotions work physiologically
How to identify and label emotions
How to reduce emotional intensity
How to prevent emotional crashes
How to cultivate long-term emotional balance

This module teaches clients how to take care of their mind and body so emotional storms become less frequent and less intense.

4. Interpersonal Effectiveness

Interpersonal Effectiveness focuses on building healthier relationships, stronger boundaries, and assertive communication.

Clients learn how to:

Ask for what they need
Maintain relationships without self-abandonment
Set healthy limits
Improve communication patterns
Navigate conflict with clarity and confidence

These skills are crucial for rebuilding personal and professional relationships impacted by addiction or emotional instability.

⭐ DBT for Trauma & Addiction at Reflections

DBT is uniquely suited for clients navigating the intersection of trauma and substance use. Many individuals turn to substances as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions, dissociation, or internal distress. DBT helps address the root causes by:

Reducing emotional flooding
Lowering impulsivity
Increasing distress tolerance
Supporting nervous system regulation
Building emotional resilience
Improving internal safety
Helping clients stay present in their bodies

In combination with trauma therapies such as Somatic Experiencing, Mindfulness, and Individual Psychotherapy, DBT becomes a powerful therapeutic foundation for long-term recovery.

⭐ How DBT Is Offered at Reflections

We offer DBT through a blend of:

✔ Individual DBT-Informed Sessions

One-on-one therapy allows the clinician to tailor DBT skills to the client’s unique emotional patterns, trauma history, and personal goals.

✔ Process-Oriented DBT Groups

Clients learn skills in a supportive group format, with opportunities to practice tools in real time.

✔ Experiential & Somatic Integration

DBT is combined with body-based therapies to help clients regulate at a nervous system level.

✔ Real-World Application

Clients practice DBT strategies throughout daily life at Reflections — during interactions, mindfulness sessions, outings, and moments of emotional challenge.

✔ Coordination with Medical & Psychiatric Teams

Our holistic approach ensures DBT skills integrate seamlessly with detox, medication management, and other clinical supports.

⭐ Why Clients Choose DBT at Reflections

At Reflections, clients experience DBT in an environment that supports deep healing:

✔ Luxury accommodations that reduce stress and promote calm

✔ Highly trained clinicians specializing in trauma and emotional regulation

✔ Small, intimate groups that allow personalized support

✔ Integration with somatic, experiential, and mindfulness-based therapies

✔ A holistic model that nurtures mind, body, and nervous system

✔ A safe, judgment-free space to learn and grow

This combination creates the ideal conditions for clients to internalize DBT skills and apply them long after treatment.