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Dialectical Behavior Therapy: An Emotion-Focused Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder

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Abstract

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) that is based on the theory that emotion dysregulation is the core feature of BPD. This article focuses on aspects of DBT theory and techniques that specifically address emotion. The dialectical and biosocial theories that underlie DBT are reviewed with an emphasis on how each relates to emotional experiencing in BPD. Selected treatment strategies that address emotion dysregulation and their hypothesized mechanisms of change are also described. Relevant research findings are incorporated throughout to provide an empirical foundation for the DBT theories and strategies that are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, University of Washington, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA

    Melanie S. Harned

  2. Duke University and Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Sammy F. Banawan & Thomas R. Lynch

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  1. Melanie S. Harned
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  2. Sammy F. Banawan
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  3. Thomas R. Lynch
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Correspondence to Melanie S. Harned.

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Harned, M.S., Banawan, S.F. & Lynch, T.R. Dialectical Behavior Therapy: An Emotion-Focused Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. J Contemp Psychother 36, 67–75 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-006-9009-x

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