Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy to assist individuals who are emotional dysregulated by preventing impulsive and self-harming behaviour. There is evidence that DBT can be useful in treating mood disorders, suicidal ideation, borderline personality disorder and for change in behavioral patterns such as self-harm and substance use.
DBT evolved into a process in which the therapist and client work with acceptance and change-oriented strategies. By increasing emotional and cognitive regulation through learning about the triggers that lead to reactive states and helping to assess which coping skills to apply in the sequence of events, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to help avoid undesired reactions.