Behavior Therapy Archives - Suzanne Wallach

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Behavior Therapy For Social Anxiety: What To Expect

Social anxiety refers to fear or worry related to interactions in social situations. The Mayo Clinic explains that “comfort levels in social situations vary, depending on personality traits and life experiences…some people are naturally reserved, and others are more outgoing.” An individual that struggles with debilitating and pervasive symptoms of social anxiety may have social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also referred to as social phobia, is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a chronic mental health condition. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) explains that social anxiety disorder is “characterized by persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others.” Social anxiety disorder is the second most diagnosed anxiety disorder and affects approximately 15 million American adults.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the clear first-line psychotherapeutic treatment for SAD. Cognitive behavioral therapy was developed in the 1960s by psychiatrist, Aaron Beck. CBT is a structured, short-term form of psychotherapy that “targets multiple areas of potential vulnerability (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, affective) with developmentally-guided strategies and traverses multiple intervention pathways.” CBT encompasses numerous strategies, and the most effective component of CBT is exposure to feared social situations. Cognitive behavioral therapy relies on a goal-oriented approach to hone healthy coping mechanisms for reducing anxiety and stress. The steps of CBT include the following, provided by Psychology Today:

Identify troubling situations and/ or conditions in your life.
Become aware of your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs connected to these troubling situations.
Identify inaccurate and/ or negative thinking that may be contributing to your troubles.
Reshape inaccurate and/ or negative thinking. To help facilitate this step, a therapist may encourage you to ask yourself if your view of the situation is based off an inaccurate perception of the situation or off facts.

CBT is based on the notion that one’s thoughts govern one’s feelings, which are directly linked to and influence one’s behaviors. The CBT framework aims to help people break unhealthy behavioral patterns by identifying and replacing dysfunctional patterns with positive thinking patterns. Despite the availability of effective treatments, data suggests that fewer than 5% of people of with social anxiety disorder pursue treatment in the year following initial onset and more than a third of people report symptoms for 10 or more years before getting help. If left untreated, social anxiety disorder can lead to adverse short- and long-term physiological consequences.

Treatment In Calabasas

Calabasas is a city in California. It is a well-known suburb of Los Angeles, located west of the San Fernando Valley and north of the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the past decade, the city of Calabasas has grown in its reputation for luxury as well as for privacy which makes it a hidden gem for residential living for society’s elite, and one of the most desirable destinations in Los Angeles County. It is also home to a plethora of highly qualified mental health clinicians providing an array of therapeutic services and treatment options.

The information above is provided for the use of informational purposes only. The above content is not to be substituted for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, as in no way is it intended as an attempt to practice medicine, give specific medical advice, including, without limitation, advice concerning the topic of mental health. As such, please do not use any material provided above to disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment.

Norman In DBT

What Are The Limitations Of DBT?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based, rigidly structured form of psychotherapy. It was developed by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s as a means to better treat individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), suffering from chronic suicidal ideation. DBT combines techniques from western cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psycho-educational modules, and eastern mindfulness-based practices to foster the systematic learning of new emotional coping skills. It is carried out in three therapeutic settings, including weekly individual psychotherapy (one-on-one therapy) sessions; weekly DBT skills training group therapy sessions, and access to twenty-four-hour support between sessions via phone coaching. Dialectical behavior therapy focuses on teaching skills in four primary areas, which are known as the four modules of DBT. Each module highlights distinct and specific skills that build upon each other and are individually and collectively integral to the success of DBT. Nevertheless, as is true with any mental health intervention, DBT has its fair share of limitations, some of which include:

May be ineffective in treating trauma: According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, due to the fact that DBT does not necessarily involve any form of trauma processing, it is not and should not be considered a stand-alone treatment for trauma.
The format and duration of DBT may be a deterrent: The different layers of treatment required for DBT including the amount of time allocated to each of the four modules, the three different therapeutic settings, etc. may be perceived by some as overwhelming and discouraging. As a result, some individuals that could benefit greatly from dialectical behavior therapy view it as overly complex to the point that they are unwilling to try the treatment.
DBT is religiously integrated: The foundation of DBT is rooted in mindfulness practice based on Zen Buddhist teachings, therefore some clients (e.g., conservative or orthodox Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc.) may object to certain facets of DBT that are derived from eastern religious philosophies.
Large-scale research is lacking: Critics argue that additional research is required to determine if DBT works for those with varied or complex mental health concerns, as most of the available research on the efficacy of DBT includes small sample sizes and focuses on a specific sector of the mental health population.
The availability of comprehensive training for providers is insufficient: DBT relies on a detailed manual and demands an intensive amount of training to deliver the services as designed. In many of the research studies where DBT was found to be effective, the providers implementing the DBT treatment were doctoral-level students or higher, which the minimizes the availability of providers.

Treatment In Calabasas

Norman In Anxiety

How Can DBT Help You Manage Anxiety?

Anxiety is a typical, emotional reaction to danger, and has been explained as “the body’s automatic fight-or-flight response that is triggered when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a challenging situation.” It is the body’s natural response to stress. Anxiety will manifest differently in different people. The feelings of anxiety can range from mild to severe. While fleeting anxiety is unavoidable, it is atypical for an individual to experience persistent and debilitating symptoms of anxiety, and this may be indicative of an anxiety disorder. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) asserts: “Anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions, each having unique symptoms. However, all anxiety disorders have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening.” There are currently five distinct types of anxiety disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Psychologist Marsha M. Linehan developed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in the late 1980s as a means to more effectively treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is founded on the principals of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), utilizing standard CBT techniques for emotional regulation and reality testing, and combines concepts derived from Buddhist meditative practice such as awareness, mindfulness, and attentiveness to current situations and emotional experiences. DBT remains the only empirically supported treatment for BPD, and current evidence also recognizes DBT as an applicable and effective treatment method for many other mental health conditions. Clinical findings indicate that DBT is increasingly used as an effective approach for managing anxiety and related issues.

DBT is a multifaceted approach consisting of weekly individual psychotherapy sessions, weekly DBT group skills training therapy sessions, and as-needed phone coaching to provide additional support between the weekly individual and group sessions. Within each setting, DBT focuses on the teaching and reinforcing skills in four fundamental areas, known as the four modules, which include: core mindfulness (focusing skills), distress tolerance (crisis survival skills), emotion regulation (de-escalation skills), and interpersonal effectiveness (social/ relationship skills). The distress tolerance module is entirely dedicated to teaching skills that help individuals learn to better manage stress and tolerate painful events, urges, and emotions.

Behavior Therapy Archives - Suzanne Wallach

What Are The Limitations Of DBT?

Treatment In Calabasas

How Can DBT Help You Manage Anxiety?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Treatment In Calabasas

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