CBT vs. DBT: Similarities & Differences between the two Approach

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are two branches of psychotherapy (or talk therapy) that are applied for a wide variety of issues. CBT focuses on reasoning and rationale. If you’re constantly putting yourself down, thinking you’re not good enough; CBT will guide you to rethink those thoughts so as you don’t think the worst of yourself but rather what you’re good at and excel in. It’s a process of switching your negative thoughts to positive ones and puts you in control of it. Research has shown that CBT is a highly effective treatment that empowers people to control their thoughts and emotions and how they interact with their surroundings. It is particularly useful for treating depression and has seen a higher success rate of remission in patients with depression than any other type of therapy.

DBT on the other hand is a specialized form of CBT that focuses on being mindful of a situation or environment and accepting it for what it is. The term “dialectical” comes from the ideology of converging two fundamental notion of acceptance and change; and having it coupled together will bring about better result than either one by itself. With DBT, you acknowledge the pain and choose to be ‘OK’ with it by empowering yourself with healthy behaviors rather than destructive ones. The therapy teaches you to change your behavior patterns through new skills or mindfulness practices instead of thinking or talking through the issues at hand. DBT is commonly used for high-risk clients who struggle with self-harm behavior such as cutting or chronic thoughts of suicide. The technique also works well with sexual trauma survivors.

Similarities & Differences

Since DBT is a subset of CBT, there are many similarities between the two. Both therapies are based on the principle of psychotherapy and reiterate the relationship between thoughts, emotions and behavior. Both approaches teach the client to be more assertive about their negative behaviors or habits to form positive ones. Also, both modalities include therapeutic assignments that are usually given between sessions for the client to work on their self-awareness and destructive behaviors. The key element of difference between the two however is that whilst CBT identifies and changes unhealthy thought patterns and behavior, DBT focuses on regulating emotions by being mindful and through acceptance.