DBT Explained: Practical Tools for Managing Trauma
DBT Skills Explained: Practical Tools for Managing Trauma
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is built around four core skill sets that empower individuals to manage emotions, cope with stress, and build healthy relationships. Here’s a deep dive into each skill area and how they can help children, teens, and women recovering from trauma.
1. Mindfulness: Staying Present
Why it matters: Trauma often pulls people into the past or future, causing anxiety or flashbacks. Mindfulness anchors them in the present moment.
Key Skills:
- Observe: Notice thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
- Describe: Put words to your experience (“I feel anxious”).
- Participate: Engage fully in the moment without overthinking. Be present.
Practical Example:
- For Teens: Practice “5-4-3-2-1 grounding”—name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
- For Adults: Use mindful breathing during triggers—inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6.
2. Distress Tolerance: Surviving the Storm
Why it matters: Trauma triggers can lead to impulsive behaviors. These skills help you ride out the wave without making things worse.
Key Skills:
- TIP: Change body chemistry (Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing).
- Self-soothe: Use senses—listen to calming music, hold something comforting.
- Radical Acceptance: Accept reality as it is, even if painful. Say no to the suffering of the "what if" and be present in "what is".
Practical Example:
- For Children: Create a “calm box” with favorite toys, scents, and textures.
- For Adults: Practice radical acceptance statements like “This is hard, but I can handle it.”
3. Emotion Regulation: Taking Back Control
Why it matters: Trauma often causes overwhelming feelings. These skills help you understand and manage emotions effectively.
Key Skills:
- Check the Facts: Are your feelings based on facts or assumptions?
- Opposite Action: Do the opposite of what your emotion urges if it’s unhelpful.
- PLEASE: Take care of Physical health, avoid drugs, get enough sleep, eat well.
Practical Example:
- For Teens: If sadness urges isolation, try opposite action—call a friend or go for a walk.
- For Adults: Keep a mood journal to track triggers and patterns.
4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Building Healthy Connections
Why it matters: Trauma can lead to isolation or unhealthy relationships. These skills foster trust and assertiveness.
Key Skills:
- DEAR MAN: Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, Mindful, Appear confident, Negotiate.
- GIVE: Be Gentle, act Interested, Validate, use an Easy manner.
- FAST: Be Fair, no Apologies for existing, Stick to values, be Truthful.
Practical Example:
- For Teens: Use DEAR MAN to ask parents for more independence respectfully.
- For Adults: Practice saying “no” without guilt using FAST skills.
Why These Skills Work
DBT doesn’t just teach coping—it builds resilience and self-empowerment. By combining acceptance with actionable strategies, individuals learn to navigate life’s challenges without being controlled by trauma. Want to learn more? Reach out to one of our therapists, located in Carmel, IN today!
