As we scroll through aspirational accounts on Instagram or TikTok — or slap on our own smiles for the next holiday gathering — it can be hard to remember how common depression is. That sense of isolation is a cruel illusion. After Marsha Linehan survived her own suicidal depression, she developed a new approach for other people in severe distress.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT is a psychological therapy used for emotionally volatile clients who may harm themselves. Therapists must balance compassion with directing clients towards relevant skills during real crisis. To develop this therapeutical mode, Linehan experimented with different techniques to help her clients develop emotional tolerance and acceptance skills. The key component? Radical acceptance.
