Therapists in V6H
Shelley Lisa Behr
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, RSW
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Vancouver, BC V6H
One of the most difficult things to do in life is to ask for help. I understand that making the first call is stressful, and I am open to hearing your concerns as soon as we connect. I encompass a non judgmental approach, based on strength and resilience. I work collaboratively with my clients to empower them to make important changes in their lives. As a counselor, I support each client's own experience of their story. I take a holistic approach to understand the many layers that surround life challenges, to create connections and promote change.
One of the most difficult things to do in life is to ask for help. I understand that making the first call is stressful, and I am open to hearing your concerns as soon as we connect. I encompass a non judgmental approach, based on strength and resilience. I work collaboratively with my clients to empower them to make important changes in their lives. As a counselor, I support each client's own experience of their story. I take a holistic approach to understand the many layers that surround life challenges, to create connections and promote change.
See more therapy options for V6H
Dialectical Behavior (DBT) Counsellors
Who is DBT for?
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is designed for people who experience extreme emotional suffering because they lack the skills of emotion regulation and distress tolerance. The basic affliction can underlie a wide range of conditions, from borderline and other personality disorders to PTSD and treatment-resistant anxiety and depression. The therapy is helpful to those whose emotional reactivity is so intense it is disruptive to everyday functioning and leads to frequent crises.
Why do people need DBT?
The ability to regulate emotions is a core psychological skill that enables people to function in life and pay attention to the world outside themselves; it is consistently associated with well-being. DBT is designed to help people learn how to manage and regulate their emotions. Originally developed to treat people with borderline personality disorder whose extreme emotional suffering led to self-harming behaviour and suicide attempts, the therapy is now applied to other conditions involving emotion dysregulation, particularly when other treatments have failed.
What happens in DBT?
Individuals meet weekly with their therapist to discuss their experiences relating to moods, behaviour, and skills. Using checklists they maintain, they review emotional experiences and positive practices they engage in. The diaries help individuals discern what led up to a specific problem encountered, this is followed by discussion of the consequences of their actions. In addition, individuals may meet in class-like small groups to learn skills such as mindfulness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance.
How long does DBT last?
Because it is intended to establish long-lasting behavioural change among those with persistent problems, DBT is designed to last six months to a year. DBT includes both weekly sessions of individual therapy and weekly skills-training sessions conducted in small groups. Studies of DBT have documented improvement within a year of treatment, particularly in controlling self-harmful behaviour; nevertheless, individuals may require therapy for several years.