DBT For a Peaceful New You

Did you know that your emotional makeup–your brain’s natural response to emotions–has a huge impact on behavior? In fact, you may be acting on emotions, even if you don’t FEEL emotional. When emotions such as fear, sadness, and shame get intense, your experience may feel like you are biologically “ramped up” or energized, or like you cannot move easily, with heaviness in your chest or limbs. We often characterize these experiences as part of anxiety or depression, when in reality they are emotional responses. Unfortunately, without addressing emotions, our brains often lead us to engage in behaviors that feel effective but don’t actually help at all, such as excessive analyzing, isolating from loved ones or staying home from work or school. We may drink more than usual or take up other unwanted habits–even engage in self-harm or suicidal thoughts. All sorts of unhelpful behaviors can slowly creep up on us, until one day we don’t even recognize ourselves. We don’t enjoy anything anymore. We feel numb and hopeless. While emotion-avoidance behaviors may work momentarily, painful emotions usually return, each time a little stronger. After wrestling with emotions for weeks, months, even years, you may now be realizing that this is no way to live…always running from emotional pain or trying to control it. But IMAGINE how rich and wonderful life could be if you could just experience the full spectrum of emotions –all of life–without being constantly overwhelmed. Shame, sadness, and anger would no longer be running the show. Maybe deep inside, there is a steady more peaceful YOU. Or perhaps, for the first time, you want to know what it feels like to be calm and in control of your emotions. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, a mood disorder, or just an emotionally sensitive personality, you can learn how to feel your feelings and keep them from controlling your decisions and your relationships.

“It is the deep desire to be known, understood, and accepted by others which drives all behavior.”
~Christina Unruh

If you struggle with emotional reactions that are hurting your relationships or closing you off from important opportunities, Evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which targets “emotion dysregulation”, can help. I will teach you skills to stop the cycle of getting swamped by your emotions and then dealing with the fallout later in your family or at work.

Anyone can benefit from learning DBT Skills, especially when life gets tough and emotions are intense. I specialize in helping people who are naturally hit hard by emotional sensitivity and reactivity including trauma survivors, adult children of alcoholics, individuals with Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression.

For questions or a free phone consultation please Contact Me