{"id":123734,"date":"2026-09-15T07:22:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=123734"},"modified":"2026-09-15T07:55:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:55:01","slug":"dbt-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/dbt-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Dialectical Behavior Therapy Techniques Worth Trying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

Intense emotions can take over before you even realize what’s happening, snapping at a partner, shutting down entirely, or feeling flooded by anxiety in the middle of an ordinary conversation. <\/span><\/p>\n

These reactions aren’t a character flaw; they’re often a sign that the nervous system needs a different set of tools to manage big feelings in the moment. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques were originally developed to build exactly this kind of emotional skill set, and many of them apply just as well to relationships as they do to individual struggles. This article walks through seven specific techniques worth adding to your toolkit. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an approach developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan that combines acceptance of things as they are with practical, skill-based change, often described as its core “dialectic.” <\/span><\/p>\n

Originally created to treat intense emotional dysregulation, DBT has since expanded into a widely used framework for building emotional and relational skills, including within couples and families.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research supports its use well beyond individual therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n

A pilot study published in the <\/span>Journal of Marital and Family Therapy<\/span><\/a> examined a couples-based intervention combining DBT and behavioral couple therapy. The results showed sizable improvements, including reduced depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation, as well as increased relationship satisfaction for both partners.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

If big emotions sometimes take over before you can catch them, whether in yourself or between you and your partner, that’s exactly what these techniques were built to help with.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>The Four Core Skill Areas of DBT<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

DBT organizes its techniques into four core skill areas. Understanding these categories helps clarify where each specific technique fits before trying it yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Skill area<\/th>What it focuses on<\/th>Example use<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Mindfulness<\/td>Staying present instead of reacting without thinking<\/td>Catching yourself right before you snap at your partner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Distress tolerance<\/td>Getting through a tough moment without making it worse<\/td>Calming down instead of yelling during a heated argument<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Emotion regulation<\/td>Noticing and managing feelings before they take over<\/td>Catching frustration early, before it builds into a blowup<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Interpersonal effectiveness<\/td>Saying what you need clearly, without damaging the relationship<\/td>Asking for space without guilt-tripping or over-apologizing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>7 Dialectical Behavior Therapy Techniques Worth Trying<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

These dialectical behavior therapy techniques come directly from four skill areas, and many work just as well in relationships as they do individually. Here’s a closer look at seven worth adding to your toolkit.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Mindfulness of the present moment<\/b><\/h3>\n

This technique means noticing what’s happening right now, your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, without immediately reacting to them. DBT mindfulness skills help create a small pause between a trigger and your response, which is often enough to change how a moment unfolds.<\/span><\/p>\n

How it works:<\/span><\/h4>\n