Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Program for Couples
Couples DBT at Front Range Treatment Center
Struggling with strong emotions and relationship conflict? Couples DBT can help. Our couples DBT program incorporates DBT skills to help couples reduce conflict, regulate intense emotions, and improve communication.
What is Couples DBT?
Couples DBT consists of weekly couples therapy appointments with a DBT therapist. These appointments combine DBT skills coaching with couples therapy. Front Range Treatment Center is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Program.™ Learn more about DBT-Linehan Board of Certification.
-
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a treatment for those with strong emotions. It is a skills-based treatment, meaning we learn specific skills to reduce intense emotions, relate to each other in a healthier way, and replace ineffective behaviors (that may help you feel better in the moment, but hurt your relationship) with effective behaviors (that will nurture your relationship).
In our Adult DBT program, clients attend individual therapy and skills classes. In our Couples DBT program, the two are usually integrated into weekly sessions.
-
At FRTC, couples DBT begins with a thorough assessment of your relationship history, your personal beliefs about relationships, and the unique circumstances that have brought you into therapy. The first several sessions involve collecting information.
After your first session, you’ll complete a detailed computerized assessment as well. After your clinician has collected all the necessary information, they will develop an individualized treatment plan for you and your partner, and present it to you in the next session. Together, you will define your goals and refine your treatment plan.
-
You will then attend weekly sessions, using DBT skills to address specific relationship deficits. We will first work on building a strong relationship foundation, supported by trust and commitment to each other. We will then move onto reducing conflict, and then enriching your relationship.
If one or both partners is struggling with their own issues, we may suggest individual therapy as well, which we can provide with a separate DBT therapist.
-
After learning all of the most important DBT skills relevant to your relationship, clients generally switch to more irregular appointments. This often means attending appointments biweekly, then monthly and so on, as needed to help provide needed refreshers and tuneups to ensure you keep making progress.
-
Many couples in our Couples DBT program enter because one or both partners are already in our Adult DBT program.
Other times, persons attend Couples DBT first, and then decide to seek individual treatment. This could include our Adult DBT program, or another form of individual therapy. Others decide to supplement their Couples DBT by attending DBT skills classes. Your couples therapist will work with you to decide what makes the most sense for you and your partner.
Front Range Treatment Center is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Program.™
Common Questions
-
Who should seek couples therapy?
When life is difficult, relationship difficulties are often one of the first issues to arise. Interpersonal problems are also a common symptom of many psychological problems, and are a secondary effect of many others. Couples conflict can arise for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, external forces place pressure on the relationship and result in strain. Other times, personality, cultural, or religious differences can divide people. Navigating life transitions (such as having children, children leaving home) can be extremely taxing on relationships.
Of course, couples struggling with difficult issues such as divorce, infidelity, tragedy and trauma can benefit from the guidance of a trained therapist who can act as a neutral third party. Our couples counselors are trained in the method of couples therapy that is best supported by research evidence. Contact us today to learn how we can help.
-
Why seek couples therapy from FRTC?
At FRTC, we use DBT-informed couples therapy, teaching you practical skills to help you rebuild friendship and intimacy, reduce conflict, improve communication, and tackle reoccurring issues. DBT is a method of therapy that helps to address strong emotions, conflict, and ineffective behaviors. If your relationship is struggling, these probably all sound familiar.
Our time-limited, skills-based approach teaches you a new way to relate to each other in months, not years. Our couples therapists are trained in a method of couples therapy shown by research to be effective, integrated with elements from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to address issues of strong emotions and intense conflict.
-
When should we seek couples therapy?
The best time to start couples therapy is as soon as possible. Couples therapy works very well, but only if you start the process early enough.
If you’re considering couples therapy, the right time is probably now.
