Evidence-based treatment that helps you identify and change the thought patterns driving addiction and mental health challenges. Used by every therapist at Valley Spring across all program levels.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy originally developed for borderline personality disorder that has proven highly effective for addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions. DBT teaches four core skill sets -- mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness -- that help individuals manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and build healthier relationships.
At Valley Spring Recovery Center, DBT is a cornerstone of our therapeutic approach. Our clinicians integrate DBT skills training into both individual therapy sessions and structured group settings across all program levels. Whether you are in Partial Care, IOP, Virtual IOP, or Outpatient, you will receive DBT-informed treatment that builds practical coping skills for real-world challenges. Under the leadership of Henry Iwuala and Dr. Michael Olla, our team delivers DBT with clinical excellence and compassion.
DBT is especially effective for people with co-occurring disorders -- those struggling with both substance use and mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or PTSD. By addressing the thinking patterns that fuel both conditions, DBT creates lasting change from the inside out.
DBT follows a skills-based approach organized around four modules. Mindfulness teaches present-moment awareness and non-judgmental observation. Distress Tolerance provides crisis survival skills and techniques for accepting painful situations. Emotion Regulation builds the ability to identify, understand, and manage intense feelings. Interpersonal Effectiveness develops assertiveness and relationship skills. These modules are delivered through a combination of individual therapy and skills training groups.
The first phase of DBT focuses on awareness. Your therapist helps you recognize the automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions, and core beliefs that drive unhealthy behaviors. These might include catastrophizing ("everything is ruined"), all-or-nothing thinking ("if I slip once, I've failed"), or overgeneralization. At Valley Spring, this foundation is introduced in Week 1 of our Mental Health Program curriculum through dedicated DBT Introduction sessions.
Once you can identify distorted thinking, you learn to challenge it. Your therapist guides you through techniques like cognitive restructuring, thought records, and Socratic questioning to test whether your thoughts are based in reality or fueled by emotion and habit. By Week 3 of treatment, our curriculum progresses to Cognitive Flexibility -- helping you challenge distortions, examine core beliefs, and build more balanced perspectives that support recovery.
The final phase translates insight into action. You practice new behavioral strategies -- such as grounding techniques, behavioral activation, exposure exercises, and relapse prevention planning -- that replace old patterns with constructive responses. These skills become tools you carry beyond treatment, helping you navigate triggers, cravings, and stressors in everyday life with confidence and clarity.
At Valley Spring Recovery Center, Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a valued component of our comprehensive treatment approach. Our clinical team integrates DBT techniques into individualized treatment plans across all program levels, ensuring every client receives the benefits of this approach.
This means whether you are in Partial Care, Intensive Outpatient, Virtual IOP, or our Outpatient Program, you will receive DBT-informed treatment from day one. Our dually-licensed clinicians combine DBT with complementary modalities like DBT, motivational interviewing, and trauma-focused approaches to create a treatment experience tailored to your unique needs.
Under the clinical leadership of Henry Iwuala, Clinical Director, and Dr. Michael Olla, Medical Director, our team ensures that DBT is delivered with both clinical rigor and genuine compassion -- creating a safe space for the difficult work of changing deeply held thought patterns.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy has strong clinical evidence for treating a wide range of substance use and mental health disorders.
Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorder
Major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder
Post-traumatic stress from trauma, abuse, or critical incidents
Alcohol, opioid, cocaine, and polysubstance addictions
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related conditions
Mood stabilization and managing manic-depressive episodes
Attention-deficit patterns, impulsivity, and focus challenges
Emotional regulation and interpersonal relationship patterns
Disordered eating patterns and body image distortions
Simultaneous substance use and mental health conditions
DBT is not limited to a single program -- it is a core therapy modality integrated into every stage of care at Valley Spring.
Intensive daily DBT sessions address acute thought distortions. Structured curriculum introduces DBT fundamentals, thought records, and cognitive awareness during the most critical stabilization phase.
DBT deepens with cognitive flexibility work -- challenging distortions, examining core beliefs, and building restructuring skills. Group DBT sessions reinforce individual progress with peer support.
DBT continues via telehealth with real-world application. Clients practice DBT techniques in their daily environment while maintaining therapeutic support and accountability.
DBT skills become lifelong tools. Alumni access ongoing CBT-informed groups and check-ins that reinforce healthy thinking patterns and prevent relapse long after primary treatment ends.
Decades of clinical research consistently demonstrate DBT as one of the most effective therapeutic approaches for addiction and mental health treatment.
At Valley Spring, our commitment to evidence-based care means we do not simply offer DBT as an add-on -- we build treatment plans around it. Our CARF accreditation reflects our adherence to the highest standards of clinical practice, and our therapists receive ongoing training to stay current with the latest DBT research and techniques. This dedication to clinical excellence is what makes DBT at Valley Spring not just a therapy session, but a transformative experience.
Speak with our admissions team to learn how DBT can be part of your personalized recovery plan.
Whether it is your first session or your fiftieth, here is what DBT looks like at Valley Spring Recovery Center.
Your first DBT session is designed to feel safe, structured, and collaborative. You will not be asked to dive into deep emotional territory right away. Instead, your therapist will:
Most clients describe their first session as "surprisingly comfortable." Our therapists are skilled at building rapport quickly and creating a judgment-free space for honest conversation.
As treatment progresses, DBT sessions become more focused and skills-oriented. You will move from awareness into active change:
In group DBT sessions, you will also benefit from hearing how peers apply these techniques -- often gaining insights that deepen your own understanding and accelerate progress.
Our admissions team is available to answer your questions and help you get started with treatment.