Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in Glasgow

What DBT is and who it helps

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy was developed by the American psychologist Marsha Linehan in the 1980s, originally to help people experiencing borderline personality disorder (BPD). It has since been adapted for a much wider range of difficulties, and its core skills are now used across many areas of mental health.

The word "dialectical" refers to the idea of holding two things that seem opposite at the same time. In DBT, that means balancing acceptance of where you are right now with the motivation to change. This balance is central to the approach and often resonates deeply with people who have felt stuck between wanting things to be different and feeling unable to make that happen.

DBT teaches skills across four key areas:

• Mindfulness: learning to observe your thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed by them
• Distress tolerance: developing ways to get through painful moments without making things worse
• Emotion regulation: understanding your emotional responses and building skills to manage their intensity
• Interpersonal effectiveness: learning to ask for what you need, set boundaries, and maintain relationships while respecting yourself

How we use DBT

We offer DBT-informed individual therapy rather than a full DBT programme. A comprehensive DBT programme includes individual therapy, a skills group, phone coaching between sessions, and a therapist consultation team. This level of provision is usually found in NHS specialist services. If you feel you need a full programme, we are happy to discuss onward referral options.

Your psychologist will get to know you, understand your difficulties in context, and weave DBT skills into your therapy where they are most useful, as part of a broader, formulation-led approach.

This might mean combining DBT skills with Schema Therapy to address the emotional patterns underneath the difficulties, or using Compassion-Focused Therapy alongside distress tolerance skills to soften self-criticism. The approach is flexible and tailored to you, offering the practical skills of DBT within a therapeutic relationship that provides depth, understanding, and continuity.

What DBT skills can help with

DBT skills are useful for a wide range of difficulties, particularly those involving intense emotions and patterns that feel hard to control. You might benefit from DBT-informed therapy if you are experiencing:

• Emotion regulation difficulties, where your emotions feel overwhelming, unpredictable, or hard to manage
• Self-harm or self-destructive behaviour as a way of coping with emotional pain
• Impulsivity in areas such as spending, substance use, or relationships
• Intense and unstable relationships, with patterns of idealisation and disappointment
• Borderline personality disorder or traits associated with it
• Eating difficulties connected to emotional regulation
• Chronic suicidal thoughts or urges

You do not need a diagnosis to benefit from DBT skills. If you recognise yourself in any of the above, it is worth exploring whether this approach could help.

What to expect from a session

Sessions last 50 minutes. Skills are taught and practised in the session, then tried out between sessions in the situations where you need them. You and your psychologist review together what worked and what got in the way. How often you meet is agreed between you and your psychologist.

Our DBT-trained psychologists

Several members of our team have specialist training in DBT and integrate its principles into their clinical work.

Dr Zounish Rafique brings expertise in DBT alongside her work with complex trauma, Compassion-Focused Therapy, and IFS. She is particularly experienced in working with people whose emotional difficulties are rooted in early adversity.

Dr Humera Millar integrates DBT skills into her work with trauma, anxiety, and emotion regulation difficulties. She brings a warm and thoughtful approach to helping people develop new ways of managing intense emotions.

Our psychologists are HCPC-registered and hold doctoral-level qualifications. View our full team, or get in touch and we will help match you with the right clinician.