“Dialectical Behavioral Therapy works – I’ve seen the difference it makes. But you have to work hard. It is a very structured form of treatment,” said Sherrie-An Gerhart, Program Coordinator.
The program is designed for individuals who need more support than outpatient therapy alone. This highly structured approach is unlike any other program with both classroom training and the individual therapy.
Learning Life Skills
The therapy is a rigorous 13-week program that includes nine hours of classroom training, and homework every night. Through this training, patients learn a wide range of life skills including:
- Mindfulness as well as the ability to stay in the present and be non-judgmental.
- The ability to handle stress and distress, and bring down the intensity of high emotion.
- The ability to regulate emotions, and understand their purpose and function.
- Interpersonal skills, including communicating, understanding limits and trusting themselves.
Skills classes are co-facilitated by therapists with specialized DBT training and include up to 12 men and women.
The program also includes individual therapy as well as a unique feature: coach calling. If a patient is in a stressful situation and finds their emotions spiraling out of control, they may forget the skills they learned. In that event, they can call a therapist any time to get coaching on the techniques they should use in that particular situation.
What Makes Your Life Worth Living?
“We ask patients, ‘What makes your life worth living’ and that becomes their goal – whether it is a relationship, a job, an education, or whatever, and we work toward that goal,” said Gerhart. “Their behaviors are interfering with their quality of life, but we’re helping them learn the skills that allow them to reach their goals. I’ve seen it work.”
The program also includes psychiatric evaluation, medication management, family sessions, and a DBT Graduate Group for individuals who have successfully completed the program either at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute or in the community.
If you would like to speak to someone about better managing your stress and anxiety, or to make an appointment, please call (717) 782-6493 for more information.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is for individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or individuals who have strong traits of this diagnosis. It has also been used to treat individuals with drug and alcohol addictions, eating disorders and for pain management. Patients must be at least 18 years old and not currently attending high school. Individuals may attend college or work while attending the program; however, full-time employment and a full college course is not recommended, while attending the program due to the program’s intensity.
“We ask patients, ‘What makes your life worth living’ and that becomes their goal – whether it is a relationship, a job, an education, or whatever, and we work toward that goal.”
— Sherrie-An Gerhart, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Program Coordinator