Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) was developed by Linehan (1993) as an intervention for borderline personality disorder. Since that time it has been used to treat substance abuse, eating disorders, PTSD, and depression. Recently, it has been used as a form of intervention with men who use abuse in their relationships (Fruzzetti & Levensky, 2000; Waltz, 2003). The therapy combines cognitive behaviour techniques with acceptance, validation, mindfulness and emotion regulation. Individual and group sessions as well as phone consultations are involved in DBT. There are different structural components to this approach beginning with a pre-treatment stage that focuses on building the person's commitment to change and to the therapeutic process. This is based on the belief that the individual must accept that they are not functioning as well as they could in some aspect of their life and be willing to change. The commitment to change involves understanding what this approach involves and making a decision as to whether or not to proceed with this form of intervention. Like the contemplation and preparation stages in the Stages of Change model, DBT is based on the premise that change can only begin with a recognition that it is necessary and a commitment to action.
In the first stage of DBT, the goals are to build rapport between the service provider and the participant, and to address concerns related to maladaptive behaviour and change. Individual sessions are hierarchically structured to address four issues. First, any life threatening issues, whether to themselves or others are discussed. When dealing with men who use abuse in their relationships, this may involve examining the use of this behaviour in the time since the last session. Second, behaviours that interfere with the process of therapy are addressed. Third, issues in the person's life that interfere with their quality of life are discussed. Fourth, improving and/or building skills and dealing with impediments to achieving these skills are considered (Waltz, 2003).
A variety of skills are taught and practiced in DBT: core skills, interpersonal effectiveness skills, emotion regulation skills, and distress tolerance skills. Core skills include being more mindful of emotions, thoughts and behaviours. Mindfulness exercises are practiced in building these core skills. Interpersonal skills can include communication skills and assertiveness skills. For men who behave abusively, goals related to interpersonal skills may include building empathy and learning how to validate others' feelings and perceptions. Emotion regulation involves learning how emotions and behaviours are linked and how they influence each other. For men who behave abusively this may include examining what reinforces or maintains their use of abuse and the discrepancy between these goals and the goal of having healthier and happier relationships. Distress tolerance involves learning self soothing skills to change negative emotional states to
more positive ones. The incapacity to manage their emotions and distress may contribute to the violent behaviour of some men and therefore these skills are often effective in reducing violent responses. It also has been suggested that work with men who behave violently may benefit from adding a psychoeducational component to build knowledge about intimate partner violence issues (Fruzzetti & Lenvensky, 2000; Waltz, 2003).
In stage 2, the focus shifts to helping individuals overcome post-traumatic stress issues. The safety issues established in stage 1 are necessary for the confrontation of trauma experiences in stage 2. Stages 3 and 4 of DBT are for individuals who want to continue with more advanced therapy. Stage 3 helps the person work on advanced goals for career, education, and
relationships as well as increasing respect for self. Stage 4 focuses on helping the person thrive and find joy in their lives (Waltz, 2003).
Throughout the process of therapy, counsellors are compassionate, accepting, and validating. The counsellor stays away from assigning blame for the incidents of abuse and violence. They take a position of acceptance of the person's reality, while still identifying the need for change. Validation does not mean condoning all ideas, beliefs or behaviours, but rather involves
validating feelings and perspectives that are reasonable given the circumstances (Linehan, 1993; Salsman & Linehan, 2006; Waltz, 2003). For example, feelings of fear and panic when one's partner threatens to leave is a common response, and a therapist would validate these feelings. This therapeutic process is consistent with the movement towards more compassionate approach to counselling with men who behave abusively described earlier in this document. Like the compassionate approach, it builds the rapport that is so essential to a successful therapeutic relationship.
Because DBT is often used with individuals who present with more severe psychological issues and is therefore stressful, it has been recommended that a consultation team be in place. This team may consist of an individual counsellor, group facilitators, a supervisor, and other
individuals that may be involved in the intervention process with the men. This team allows for debriefing, case consultation, and support for service providers (Waltz, 2003).
There are a number of reasons why DBT may be appropriate for use with men who behave abusively. First, as Dutton (2000) found, there is a subgroup of men who use violence in their relationships that are borderline personality disorder and DBT was originally intended to assist individuals with this disorder. Second, it deals well with comorbidity, and many men who behave abusively have problems with depression, substance abuse and other mental health issues. Third, this approach assists individuals to regulate their emotions and men who behave abusively sometimes have problems managing their anger and other emotions, have intense and long lasting emotional responses, and have increased sensitivity to social rejection and
invalidation. Fourth, men who use abuse in their relationships sometimes have a history of being invalidated by others including family members and DBT therapists are accepting and validating. Fifth, abusive behaviour patterns are difficult to change and DBT directly targets behaviour patterns that are not easily changed. Sixth, stage 1 of DBT directly addresses life threatening behaviours such as violence to self and others. Seventh, men who behave abusively are often resistant or noncooperative and are prone to dropping out of intervention programs. DBT specifically deals with behaviours that interfere with therapy and utilizes techniques that build
rapport. Finally this approach coincides with the nonjudgmental, compassionate approach promoted by Stefanakis (2008) and others (Waltz, 2003).
Despite these advantages, it is important to keep in mind that this form of therapy is very intensive and may not be necessary for men who do not have borderline personality disorder or do not manifest severe forms of violence. Further, the training in the use of DBT that is required and the higher cost of utilizing DBT must be considered before choosing this approach.