What is Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT)?

RO DBT is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy designed to treat disorders of overcontrol. The skills taught in this form of psychotherapy aim to build our ability to be more open to novel experiences, respond more flexibly to the demands of the moment, exhibit more authentic emotional expression, build more positive interpersonal relationships, be more receptive to unexpected or challenging feedback, and become more socially connected. 

How do I know if RO DBT is the right therapy for me?

Which of the lists of words and phrases below best describes you?

(A) deliberate, practical, aloof, hard-working, organized

or

(B) impulsive, impractical, vulnerable, laid back, chaotic

If List A, your overall personality style can be described as a tendency to be more overcontrolled.  While these traits are often applauded by society and those around us, research shows that too much of a good thing can contribute to disorders such as Chronic Depression, Anorexia Nervosa, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Maladaptive Perfectionism. For some of us, overcontrol may be one of the underlying causes of these disorders and can have an extremely negative impact on our quality of life. If your quality of life has been negatively impacted by overcontrol, RO DBT may be a good fit for you! 

What is the structure of RO DBT?

RO DBT consists of two parts:

  1. One-on-one sessions

  2. RO DBT Skills Classes

The one-on-one sessions allow us to get deeper into your specific goals and struggles, while also supporting you with implementing the skills that you are learning in the class.

The skills classes are where you will learn practical techniques to manage perfectionism, emotional overcontrol, loneliness, and rigidity.

The gold standard is to do both one-on-one sessions, and the skills class, however, some people opt to do one or the other. Reach out to chat about what will be the best option for you!

Proudly Imperfect Person’s (PIP) Club

As soon as you have completed a round (20 weeks) or RO DBT Skills training, you are invited to join the PIP club! Membership is 10$ per month, and it allows you at attend a drop in session on Saturdays from 1-2pm where you will hang out with other RO DBT buddies and support each other with practicing the skills. Amanda will also be present to guide the conversation if needed, but this is based off of a peer support model, where participants are encouraged to ask for what they need from each other. If the name of the club is already giving you the “ick” factor, we highly encourage you to come talk about it 😉.