DBT Archives - Montgomery County Counseling Center

a cartoon chalkboard that reads "welcome to the judgment free zone"

Creating a Judgment Free Zone

03/28/202203/28/2022 Laura Goldstein

Judging, by definition, is taking an facts and digesting them through our own subjective lens and interpretation. This is where many painful emotions comes from, both in thinking about ourselves and in thinking about others. As humans, we already go through a lot of difficult situations. Our judgements only make it worse. A very effective way get through tough times is incorporating non-judgmentalness into the process. Only then can we begin to problem-solve. Here are some helpful tips on how become less judgmental get closer to a judgment free mind!

Adults, DBT

Six Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene

01/15/202201/15/2022 Laura Goldstein

One way to reduce emotional vulnerabilities is making sure you are getting a good night's sleep. Easier said than done for some of us. Let’s talk about ways we can cope ahead to increase the likelihood of getting a better night's sleep.

DBT

Preventing Repeated Mental Health Hospitalizations

11/11/202111/07/2021 Laura Goldstein

Why Inpatient Treatment is not ALWAYS the best solution: When unsafe emotions and behaviors like suicidal ideation and self harm arise, the first line of defense is often mental health hospitalization. This makes sense when our lives, or the life of someone close to us, are in danger. And we are taught that hospitals have healthcare providers to keep us safe. This is true! And thank goodness for our healthcare providers! However, research shows that when it comes to a mental health crises, inpatient hospitalizations increase the likelihood that unsafe behaviors will occur repeatedly.

fall windowscape with a pumpkin. blankets, and a candle

DBT

Fall Reflections from a Therapist

10/23/202110/24/2021 Laura Goldstein

I am going to make a sweeping generalization: People in the DMV love the start of Fall. My theory? Because the weather finally gets cool and walking outside doesn’t feel like you are still in the humidity of a hot shower. I hate to sound like a Pinterest board (no real knock on Pinterest, I… Continue reading Fall Reflections from a Therapist

DBT

DBT Phone Coaching

10/19/202111/09/2021 Laura Goldstein

Phone coaching is meant to support you coping with in-the-moment problems that arise between therapy sessions. Your DBT therapist will encourage the you to utilize phone coaching to prevent the problem behaviors you are working on. Instead, with phone coaching, you can practice using the tools learning in session by using them in real life situations.

Adults, DBT

How Are You Feeling?

07/09/202107/16/2021 Laura Goldstein

I often hear words to describe our emotions as “fine”, “okay”, “good”, “bad”. And while that's an important starting place, I believe much more can be discovered when we tune into our internal experience a bit more. I have come back to this reflection often and every time settle on the important truth that asking how we are feeling and understanding our emotions is not only a part of therapy, but essential for living.

DBT, For Therapists, Substance Use

What Topics to Prioritize In Therapy?!

06/18/202107/14/2022 Laura Goldstein

Does it sometimes feel like you don’t know how to prioritize everything going on in your life? Especially when you are in your therapy session, it might feel like there is so much to talk about. Is can be frustrating if your therapist focuses on a different aspect than what your emotions are wanting to focus on. When using DBT, there is a hierarchy of targets that help guide a single therapy session. This same hierarchy also guides the overall process of therapy. The reason behind this hierarchy is to create progress in therapy that focuses on the highest acuity issues. We must stabilize these "targets" prior to dealing with any other issues brought to therapy.

Adults, DBT

Assumptions That ARE Helpful

05/26/202106/18/2021 Laura Goldstein

You know that saying about assumptions….. You know… when you ASSume…. Well what actually is an assumption? And are they all bad? According to Webster’s Dictionary, an assumption is believing that something is true. When it comes to other people’s thoughts and motivations, believing truth in something you can’t prove might not be very helpful. But in Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), there are some assumptions that are helpful for everyone to consider as true. These assumptions apply to the therapist, the client, and the parents/caregivers and family. Whether you are working on changes for yourself, or you are a family member supporting someone who is struggling, consider these following nine assumptions.