Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Baltimore County
Some feelings do not come in gently. They arrive all at once and at full volume, and in the moment they can feel impossible to ride out without doing something you later regret, snapping at someone you love, shutting down completely, or reaching for whatever makes it stop fastest. If your emotions often feel like more than you can hold, that is not a character flaw. It is something that can be worked with, and there are concrete skills that help.
Dialectical behavior therapy, known as DBT, is where a lot of those skills come from. It is a practical, skills-based approach for handling intense emotions, tolerating distress without making it worse, and steadying the relationships that strong feelings can strain. Our clinicians at Connected Care Behavioral Health in Pikesville draw on DBT skills to support people whose anxiety, trauma, or low moods come with an extra layer of emotional intensity.
What Is DBT?
DBT grew out of cognitive behavioral therapy, with one important addition at its center. It holds two things as true at the same time, that you are doing the best you can right now, and that you can build skills to do things differently. That balance, accepting yourself as you are while still working toward change, is the “dialectic” the name refers to, and it is a gentler starting point than approaches that treat difficult emotions as problems to be argued away.
The heart of DBT is the recognition that fighting or bottling up a strong emotion usually makes it stronger. So instead of teaching you to suppress what you feel, DBT teaches you to work with it, to feel it without being swept away by it, and to choose your response rather than react on autopilot.
The Four Skills DBT Teaches
DBT is built around four sets of skills, and our clinicians weave the ones that fit your situation into your treatment.
Mindfulness: Learning to settle into the present moment and notice what is happening inside and around you, without judgment, so you are not constantly pulled into the past or the what-ifs of the future.
Distress tolerance: Getting through a painful or overwhelming moment without making it worse, and learning to accept a hard reality for what it is rather than fighting it.
Emotion regulation: Naming and understanding your emotions, easing their intensity, and handling the difficult ones so they stop running the show.
Interpersonal effectiveness: Asking for what you need, setting limits, and saying no, all while keeping your self-respect and your relationships intact.
These are practical, learnable skills, not abstract ideas. The goal is that you can use them in the real moments they are meant for, long after treatment ends.
How We Use DBT
DBT is not the whole of what we do here, and for most people it works best woven together with our other approaches rather than on its own. Someone working through OCD or an anxiety disorder with exposure work may also carry a lot of emotional intensity, and DBT skills give them a way to steady themselves through the harder parts. The same is true for people dealing with trauma or depression that comes with overwhelming feelings.
We tailor which skills we draw on to you and what you are struggling with, rather than running everyone through the same script. If DBT is not the right fit, or if what you need is a more specialized DBT program than we offer, we will be honest with you about that too.
What Working With Connected Care Looks Like
Our clinicians are trained in DBT skills and use them thoughtfully, matched to the person in front of them. For most people they are one piece of a treatment plan that also draws on other evidence-based tools, and that is how we tend to work.
Our office is on Old Court Road in Pikesville, and we see people from across Baltimore County, including Owings Mills, Towson, Reisterstown, Randallstown, Timonium, and Catonsville. For anyone facing a long commute into the city or a schedule that does not leave room for a drive, secure teletherapy brings the work to you anywhere in Maryland. We are an insurance-accepting practice, unlike many of the OCD and anxiety specialists in the area who stay out of network, and your first consultation is free.
Who We Help
We work with adults, teens, and children. Some people come to us specifically looking for help with emotions that feel too big to manage. Others discover, partway through treatment for anxiety or trauma, that a few DBT skills make the rest of the work more possible. Wherever you are, and whether therapy is new to you or familiar, you are welcome here.
There Are Skills for This
Intense emotions do not have to run your days or strain the relationships you care about. DBT gives you real, usable skills, and you get to keep them. Call Connected Care Behavioral Health at 443-219-9236 to set up a free consultation, and we will talk through what you are facing and whether DBT skills, alongside our other approaches, could help.
Frequently Asked Questions About DBT
What does DBT stand for?
DBT stands for dialectical behavior therapy. It is a skills-based type of CBT therapy to help with intense emotions, get through distressing moments, and handle relationships more effectively. The “dialectic” refers to holding two truths at once, accepting yourself as you are while also working toward change.
What does DBT help with?
DBT was originally developed for individuals who experience intense emotions, and its skills help with emotional overwhelm, distress tolerance, and relationship strain. We most often use DBT skills alongside treatment for anxiety, OCD, trauma, and depression, when strong emotions are part of the picture. It has also shown benefit for concerns like mood difficulties and impulsive behaviors.
What are the four skills of DBT?
The four skill areas are mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Together they help you stay present, get through hard moments without making them worse, manage difficult emotions, and navigate relationships while keeping your self-respect.
Is DBT the same as CBT?
DBT grew out of CBT and shares its practical, skills-based approach, but it puts more emphasis on accepting difficult emotions and building tolerance for distress, rather than only changing thoughts. Many people benefit from elements of both, and we often combine approaches.
Do you offer DBT by video in Maryland, and do you take insurance?
Yes to both. We provide DBT skills work through secure teletherapy anywhere in Maryland, along with in-person sessions in Pikesville, and we are an insurance-accepting practice. A free consultation is the easiest way to begin.