Skill-building and developing insights are important parts of the healing process. However, being social creatures we also need to feel seen and heard. Humans need connection. It’s in our DNA. Real connection means being vulnerable with others and being met with compassion. It also involves offering empathy to others struggling.
Therapy groups create these experiences of safety with others which can significantly enhance growth and recovery. Groups allow for human connection to exist in a real and unique way due to the inherent confidentiality and context of discussions. Each person can participate as much as they are comfortable. Being a listener or observer is every bit as powerful as sharing. Many times just being present in a group makes you feel that you are not alone.
Why Specifically DBT Groups?
DBT involves learning skills to help break the cycle of unhealthy behaviors, unconscious reactivity, and other forms of maladaptive coping. During a DBT group, skills will be practiced in real time. Mindfulness skills help participants become grounded and present in order to take in new information. Distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills are then reviewed and discussed. Worksheets can foster personal application of these skills in real life scenarios.
Being taught these skills with others creates even more opportunities to learn. Others may voice barriers to understanding certain concepts, which in turn will help if you are feeling stuck. Discussions inspire new ideas for skill application. Vulnerability demonstrated by yourself or others helps to build trust both in and out of the therapy setting.
Even being triggered in this safe space is beneficial because you will inevitably get triggered in your day-to-day life. Experiencing this in a supportive environment allows individuals to work through reactions and anticipate managing similar situations outside of the group.
How DBT Groups Differ From Individual Therapy
An individual therapy space might offer DBT skills, but it also prioritizes the client’s changing needs in that moment. In many ways, DBT group sessions reverse the structure of individual sessions.
In individual therapy, the client’s experiences guide the session and skills are introduced as they become relevant. In DBT groups, the skill is the focus of each session, and participants use their own experiences to explore, personalize, and practice that skill in a structured way. This blend of learning, doing, and connecting makes DBT groups especially powerful.
The group setting also allows participants to learn from each other in addition to the clinician, making the experience more relatable. You can build up your individualized toolbox while receiving validation and feedback from others.
Skill Example
The mindfulness skill “Wise Mind” encourages balance between the emotional and logical sides of ourselves. Through this skill, you might learn whether you personally lean more towards emotional or logical thinking. Some people tend to make decisions based primarily on feelings and intuition. While others rely heavily on facts, analysis, and reason. Neither approach is inherently better than the other. In fact, we need both.
Wise Mind is not just the midpoint between emotion and logic. It’s the ability to move fluidly between what we feel and what we think. This is an example of why a group setting is ideal for learning DBT skills. While you may approach a situation with more logic, someone else may approach it with more emotion. Together, these perspectives create balance and reinforce that nothing is black and white.
Curious if DBT could help?
Nourish offers therapy with clinicians trained in DBT who tailor treatment to your goals and needs both in individual sessions and in group settings. Contact us to schedule a consultation or learn more about DBT services at our practice.
