Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT helps people regulate their emotions, improving interpersonal relationships and increasing distress tolerance.
Dialectical behavior therapy at Aster Springs
Learning skills and how to apply them in everyday situations is a vital component of our dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) program. Most of our skills training occurs in a class-like group setting, during which clients have weekly homework to practice the skills in real life.
- Mindfulness empowers clients to accept moments in the present, preventing them from acting or reacting with negative behaviors.
- Interpersonal effectiveness helps clients in their interactions with others. They learn how to ask for what they want, refuse an offer, and cope with conflicts in healthy, effective ways.
- Distress tolerance teaches clients how to deal with pain. It’s a natural development from mindfulness that helps them tolerate and survive crises.
- Emotion regulation allows clients to identify and label their emotions and obstacles so that they can apply distress tolerance strategies. They also learn how to increase mindfulness and react positively to emotional events.
About DBT
DBT is a skills-based type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The primary goals of DBT include helping people regulate their emotions, have more successful interpersonal relationships, increase their distress tolerance, and be more mindful of their thoughts, feelings, and environment. Originally designed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT is also effective in treating substance use disorders as well as a variety of mental health disorders, including eating disorders.
Our DBT Approach
Listen in as Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare’s AVP of Clinical Operations, Kate Fisch, LCSW, CEDS, explains dialectical behavior therapy and how it’s used at Aster Springs.
How DBT Works
DBT treatment can take place in stages, with what happens during each stage depending on the client’s behaviors. By not setting a time frame for each stage, each individual can progress at their own pace, with therapists providing appropriate support along the way.
Stage 1
Clients may struggle with intense emotional distress, self-destructive behaviors, or substance use, sometimes putting their lives at risk. Our therapists focus on helping them regain stability, build coping skills, and reclaim control.
Stage 2
In the second stage, clients may feel trapped in quiet desperation. While behaviors are stabilized, underlying issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) persist. Therapists focus on addressing co-occurring disorders to support more profound healing and recovery.
Stage 3
In the third stage of DBT, clients focus on building a fulfilling life. They set meaningful goals, cultivate self-respect, and develop the skills needed for lasting happiness and peace.
Stage 4
The fourth stage of DBT, for those who need it, focuses on finding deeper meaning through spirituality. When ordinary happiness feels insufficient, this stage helps clients move from a sense of incompleteness to a life of fulfillment, freedom, and joy.
The Aster Springs Difference
Our distinctive approach combines compassionate, inclusive care with innovative treatment methods, promoting an environment where daily healing leads to lasting real-world recovery.
2025
Real Progress, Backed by Data
Aster Springs tracks clinical outcomes across every level of care to measure the effectiveness of evidence-based eating disorder treatment. As a fully CARF® International-accredited program, Aster Springs is held to rigorous standards of care — and the data reflects it.
Levels of Care
Aster Springs offers comprehensive, evidence-based eating disorder treatment programs designed to meet clients where they are in their recovery journey. Available levels of care include:
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