DBT Therapy in Pittsburgh, PA
You Can Learn to Manage Intense Emotions.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy gives you a practical, skills-based toolkit for navigating overwhelming emotions, repairing relationships, and building a life worth living — without being controlled by emotional pain. Available via secure telehealth for Pittsburgh residents.
When Your Emotions Feel Impossible to Control
Emotions that feel too big, too fast, and too overwhelming. Relationships that follow the same painful patterns no matter how hard you try. A sense that you’re living life on the edge of crisis — exhausted from the effort of just getting through each day.
- Your emotions shift rapidly and intensely — from fine to overwhelmed in moments, without warning
- You say or do things in moments of emotional flooding that you later regret deeply
- Relationships follow a push-pull pattern — intense connection followed by conflict or distance
- You cope with emotional pain in ways that provide temporary relief but create new problems
- You feel a persistent sense of emptiness or instability in your sense of self
- You’ve been told you’re “too sensitive” or “too much” — and part of you believes it
Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Pittsburgh
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan and is one of the most well-researched, evidence-based therapies available. Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT is now widely used for a broad range of emotional and behavioral challenges.
DBT is built on a core tension: accepting yourself exactly as you are right now, while also committing to change the behaviors that are making your life harder. This balance — acceptance and change — is the “dialectic” at the heart of the approach.
Unlike traditional talk therapy alone, DBT is explicitly skills-based. You leave sessions with concrete tools you can use immediately in real-life situations.
The Core Skills of DBT Therapy
DBT is built on four interconnected skill sets. Each addresses a different area of emotional and behavioral struggle — together they form a comprehensive framework for building a life worth living.
Mindfulness
The foundation of all DBT skills. Mindfulness teaches you to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment — creating space between what you feel and how you respond. It reduces impulsive reactions and builds awareness of the present moment.
- Observe and describe without judgment
- Participate fully in the present moment
- One-mindfully — doing one thing at a time
- Effectiveness — focusing on what works
Distress Tolerance
Skills for surviving crisis moments without making things worse. Distress tolerance doesn’t fix the problem — it helps you get through intense emotional pain without resorting to behaviors you’ll regret. Radical acceptance is a cornerstone skill.
- TIPP — Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Paired muscle relaxation
- ACCEPTS — distraction strategies
- Self-soothe through the five senses
- Radical acceptance of what cannot be changed
Emotion Regulation
Skills for understanding, managing, and changing intense emotional responses. Emotion regulation helps you identify what you’re feeling, reduce emotional vulnerability, and change emotions when needed rather than being controlled by them.
- Identify and label emotions accurately
- Reduce vulnerability through PLEASE skills
- Opposite Action — acting opposite to emotion urges
- Check the Facts — testing the accuracy of emotions
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Skills for maintaining healthy relationships, asking for what you need, and setting limits while keeping your self-respect and the relationship intact. Especially valuable for those whose relationships follow painful push-pull patterns.
- DEAR MAN — getting what you need from others
- GIVE — maintaining relationships
- FAST — keeping your self-respect
- Navigating conflict without damage
Conditions DBT Therapy Addresses
DBT was originally developed for borderline personality disorder but research now supports its effectiveness for a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges.
Borderline Personality Disorder
DBT was developed specifically for BPD and remains the gold-standard treatment for the emotional instability, relationship patterns, and identity disturbance that characterize the condition.
Depression & Chronic Emptiness
DBT’s emotion regulation and behavioral activation skills are highly effective for depression — particularly for those who experience a persistent sense of emptiness or emotional numbness.
Anxiety & Emotional Dysregulation
For anxiety driven by emotional intensity and avoidance, DBT provides skills to tolerate distress, regulate emotions, and engage with life rather than shrink away from it.
Trauma & PTSD
DBT skills provide essential stabilization and emotional regulation before deeper trauma processing begins — making it a valuable first phase of trauma treatment when emotional dysregulation is present.
Eating Disorders
DBT is extensively researched for eating disorders, particularly binge eating disorder and bulimia, where emotional dysregulation and behavioral impulsivity are key maintaining factors.
Substance Use & Impulsive Behaviors
When substances or impulsive behaviors are used to manage emotional pain, DBT’s distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills offer healthier alternatives for coping.
How to Begin DBT Therapy in Pittsburgh
Starting DBT therapy is a concrete step toward the kind of life you want. Here’s how it works with us.
Reach Out
Call, text, or fill out our contact form. We respond within one business day.
Free Consultation
15-minute call to discuss your goals and confirm DBT is the right fit for you.
Assessment
First sessions identify which DBT skill areas will be most valuable for your specific situation.
Build Your Skills
Ongoing sessions build DBT skills you practice and apply between appointments in real life.
DBT Therapy Covered by Most Major Insurance Plans
We accept the following insurance plans. Self-pay and sliding scale options are also available.
Your Emotions Are Not
the Enemy.
DBT doesn’t teach you to suppress what you feel. It teaches you to work with your emotions rather than against them — so they stop running your life and you start living the one you actually want.
Or call us: (724) 268-0223
Meet the Team
Our licensed counselors are DBT-informed and bring a trauma-informed perspective to every session.
