Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs. Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Coming to grips with your addiction is no small task. The disease can impact various aspects of your life, from your physical wellbeing to your mental health, leaving you feeling lost, alone, broken and defeated. It can cloud your ability to make healthy choices and drive you to turn on those who love you most.

Making the decision to face your addiction with the help and guidance of a qualified treatment facility is the first step toward achieving sobriety and attaining a happier and healthier life.

While the intricacies of rehab are typically explained in detail when you begin the process, understanding the various types of therapy available can better prepare you for the road ahead.

In particular, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are two of the leading therapeutic approaches implemented in treatment settings due to their success rates and the overall positive impact they have on participants’ lives.

While both treatment interventions are forms of psychotherapy, or more commonly titled “talk therapy,” the topics that are focused on can be quite different. Understanding the variations in these two treatment approaches is an excellent way to better prepare yourself for the ins-and-outs of the recovery process.

What’s the Difference Between Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment approach that teaches you how your thoughts, feelings and behaviors influence and interact with each other. Treatment sessions are focused on restructuring and changing the way you think and behave from day to day.

The primary concept of cognitive behavioral therapy emphasizes the idea that much of how you feel is determined by how you think. For example, if you believe that people in your life do not like you (the thought), you may avoid social interactions (the behavior) and end up lonely and isolated (the feeling).

Dialectical behavior therapy is a modified form of cognitive behavioral therapy with greater focus on social and emotional aspects of your life. It was initially developed to help people deal with unstable emotions and behaviors through increased focus on skills like:

• Improved mindfulness
• Regulating emotional experiences
• Tolerating experienced distress
• Effectively managing your relationships with others

Overall, DBT theory suggests that some people’s arousal levels in certain situations can increase much faster than the average person’s. This can lead to higher emotional stimulation and the need to implement treatment techniques to decrease those excessive negative feelings.

What You Should Know about CBT and DBT

Both CBT and DBT are forms of talk therapy, focusing on the participant’s personal experiences and emotional state of mind. Where CBT generally implements individual treatment sessions that address past experiences, DBT builds upon that therapeutic approach and typically includes a group therapy component, in addition to individual therapy.

This integrated or mixed approach to the overall therapeutic experience of DBT can also include options, such as:

• Skill training to better manage personal emotions
• A specific focus on building relationships with others
• Methods on how to cope with personal moments of distress
• Skill building to embrace the concept of acceptance

Add to this the important element of mindfulness training and you have the distinct differences between cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. However, to fully understand the distinction between the two forms of therapy, it is best to consider that:

• CBT focuses on how your thoughts, feelings and behaviors influence each other
• DBT does incorporate these components, but the emphasis is given more towards regulating emotions, being mindful and learning to accept pain
• CBT seeks to give patients the ability to recognize when their thoughts might become troublesome and gives them techniques to redirect those problematic thoughts
• DBT helps patients find ways to accept themselves, feel safe and manage their emotions to help regulate potentially destructive or harmful behaviors

These differences separate the two forms of therapy and enable the two approaches to help an individual experience rehabilitation and personal growth in distinctively different ways.

Choosing the best one to suit your needs requires a consultation with a clinical professional in order to recognize your specific areas of behavioral concern and identify the best approach to helping you achieve sobriety and personal growth.

CBT vs. DBT: Find Your Right Approach at the Right Recovery Center

Regardless of your personal history or current addiction, beginning your recovery journey under the guidance of a qualified clinical professional is essential to achieving long-term success and happiness.

Finding a fully licensed facility to initiate your rehabilitation is the first step toward a sober mindset and healthier existence. When facing the disease of addiction, it is the clinician’s responsibility to identify whether cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy is the best fit for your recovery.

Doing the necessary research to find the right facility is your responsibility, so take the process seriously and do your homework before deciding where your recovery journey will begin.

Life-Changing Holistic Addiction Recovery and Relapse Prevention at Ranch Creek Recovery

Offering both cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy – both from an individualized approach with world-renowned licensed therapists and addiction recovery experts, Ranch Creek Recovery is a luxury, non-12-step rehab and holistic treatment center where a large component of our treatment programs is rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.

At Ranch Creek Recovery, our team of treatment experts will work one-on-one with you to create a custom treatment plan that will include customized therapy sessions and holistic, experiential treatment that will help you center your mind, body and spirit as you begin to forge your new, sober life.

Learn more about Ranch Creek Recovery, including what we offer and what we treat.

Have questions? We’re here to help in any way we can. Contact us today.

CALL NOW: (877) 293-8607