Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive psychosocial treatment originally designed for individuals meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD). The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the principles and techniques of DBT for BPD, summarize current research, and discuss the implications for psychologists who wish to implement DBT. The four modes in DBT (individual therapy, skills training, as-needed consultation between sessions, and therapist consultation meetings) are reviewed. The three overarching theories that guide and help organize DBT treatment (biosocial theory, behavioral theory, and dialectical philosophy) are also summarized. DBT has been the subject of much research and has been adapted for different settings, disorders, and populations, including substance abuse and BPD, eating disorders, treatment-resistant depression, ADHD, and forensic settings. This research is critically reviewed. Finally, we examine the implications and applications for practicing psychologists who seek training in DBT and work in independent practice.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a psychosocial treatment initially developed by Marsha Linehan for the treatment of individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Since DBT was first described in the literature (Linehan, 1987), the treatment has exploded in popularity among psychologists and other mental health workers in the US and internationally. Despite its popularity, there is still much about DBT that is misunderstood or misinterpreted by clinicians. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the principles and intervention techniques of DBT, summarize the existing research on DBT for BPD and other mental health problems, and discuss implications for practicing psychologists.

It is unlikely that a practicing psychologist can avoid working with individuals with BPD and such work is often stressful. Estimates of the prevalence of BPD suggest that up to 6% of the general population meet criteria for the disorder (Grant et al., 2008), yet this prevalence rate increases dramatically when examining individuals receiving mental...