Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Supporting emotional regulation, overwhelm, and relational stress

DBT offers practical tools for people who feel emotionally intense, shut down easily, or struggle to stay connected during stressful situations.

Originally developed for complex emotional and relational patterns, DBT can also be helpful for neurodivergent clients navigating burnout, sensory overload, or chronic interpersonal strain.

DBT combines practical skills with mindfulness and relational insight to help you build emotional stability over time.

Originally developed for complex emotional and relational patterns, DBT can also be helpful for neurodivergent clients navigating burnout, sensory overload, or chronic interpersonal strain.

DBT combines practical skills with mindfulness and relational insight to help you build emotional stability over time.

What is DBT?

DBT is a structured, skills-based, and focuses on building capacity in four key areas:

  • Emotion regulation – recognising, naming, and working with big feelings;
  • Distress tolerance – surviving crisis moments without making things worse;
  • Interpersonal effectiveness – setting boundaries, asking for what you need, and navigating conflict; and/or
  • Mindfulness – staying connected to the present moment without judgement.

In therapy, we adapt DBT skills to your life—at your pace, and in ways that feel usable and relevant. I offer individual DBT-informed sessions only; I do not run DBT groups.

Who might benefit from DBT?

In my practice, DBT-informed approaches are often helpful for clients who:

  • Experience frequent emotional overwhelm or shutdown;
  • Struggle with interpersonal conflict or boundary confusion;
  • Have strong inner critics or cycles of shame;
  • Feel caught between extremes—e.g., craving connection but pushing people away; and/or
  • Are navigating trauma, burnout, or high-masking neurodivergence.

Sessions may involve exploring your patterns, learning new tools, and gently building the capacity to stay grounded in situations that once felt impossible.

Relational Focus

DBT isn’t just about skills—it’s also about relationships. Therapy becomes a space to practice new ways of connecting: being heard, repairing conflicts, and staying present. That’s especially important if you’ve experienced relational trauma or invalidation in the past.