Dialectical Behavior Therapy in North Carolina

Practical therapy for managing intense emotions, strengthening boundaries, and building self-respect

You’ve spent a lot of time trying to hold yourself together. Maybe you’ve tried therapy before and gained insight, but didn’t walk away with concrete tools to use when emotions felt overwhelming.

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On the outside, you function. You’re capable, responsible, and reliable.

On the inside, emotions can spike quickly — going from calm to overwhelmed, irritated, or shut down before you have time to catch your breath.

You may struggle with:

Emotions that go from 0 to 100 faster than you’d like

Saying yes when you mean no, then feeling resentful or depleted

Knowing what you should do, but having trouble following through when emotions take over

Questioning your self-worth or second-guessing yourself after interactions or decisions

This isn’t a personal failure — it’s a skills issue, and skills can be learned. That’s where Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) comes in. DBT focuses on helping you slow emotional intensity, respond instead of react, and make choices that protect your self-respect — even in stressful or emotionally charged situations.

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based approach designed to help people manage strong emotions, navigate relationships more effectively, and stay grounded when life feels overwhelming.

Rather than relying on insight alone, DBT teaches practical skills that help you:

Regulate emotions before they spiral

Set boundaries without guilt or shutdown

Communicate clearly while maintaining self-respect

Tolerate distress without making things worse

Make decisions from a more balanced place

DBT is especially helpful when emotions tend to escalate quickly or when you find yourself stuck between over-reacting and shutting down.

How can DBT Help?

DBT therapy can support you in:

Reducing emotional reactivity and intensity

Slowing down the jump from calm to overwhelmed

Strengthening boundaries while staying connected

Acting in ways that align with your values — not fear or people-pleasing

Building confidence in your decisions and sense of self

Feeling more balanced and steady over time

DBT doesn’t aim to eliminate emotions — it helps you work with them, so they don’t run the show.

Therapy That Builds Real Change

When emotions feel intense, it can be hard to pause, think clearly, or respond in ways you’re proud of. Over time, this can chip away at self-worth and leave you feeling exhausted or frustrated with yourself.

DBT works by helping you understand what’s happening in the moment and giving you tools to respond differently — with more intention and self-respect.

Sessions are structured, collaborative, and practical. We reflect, practice skills, and apply them to real situations in your life so the work carries beyond the therapy hour.

The goal isn’t perfection or emotional control.
It’s balance, flexibility, and trust in yourself.

How DBT Is Used in Therapy

DBT is very practical. In sessions, we talk through what’s coming up for you and focus on tools that actually help in those moments.

Some clients like having the DBT skills workbook and working through it together, while others prefer to learn skills as they come up in conversation. There’s no one “right” way — we’ll figure out what feels most supportive for you.

I’ll introduce specific skills during sessions and share resources you can practice between appointments, so therapy feels useful in real life — not just something you talk about once a week.

The goal isn’t to overwhelm you with techniques. It’s to help you build tools you can actually use when emotions run high, boundaries feel hard, or you’re trying to respond differently than you have in the past.

Who Can Benefit From DBT Therapy?

DBT can be helpful for many people, but I most often work with individuals who feel stuck in urgency, emotional overwhelm, or self-doubt when making important decisions.

If you recognize yourself in any of the experiences below, DBT therapy may be a good fit.

Decisions Feel Urgent — Not Thoughtful

You may feel pressure to decide now, even when the decision feels big or emotionally loaded. Once that urgency kicks in, it’s hard to slow down, think clearly, or trust yourself. Everything starts to feel like it has to be solved immediately.

DBT helps you pause, slow the moment down, and make decisions from a steadier place — not panic, pressure, or fear of getting it wrong.

Emotions Go From Zero to One Hundred

You might feel okay one moment and suddenly overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally flooded the next. When that happens, it’s hard to access logic or perspective — and afterward, you may beat yourself up for how you reacted.

DBT focuses on noticing those moments earlier and using practical skills to lower emotional intensity, so emotions don’t take over the decision-making process.

You Beat Yourself Up Afterward

You replay conversations or decisions over and over — what you said, what you didn’t say, how you handled it. Even when you did your best, self-doubt creeps in and it feels hard to trust yourself moving forward.

DBT helps you respond to yourself with more balance and self-respect, so you can learn from experiences without tearing yourself down.