Description of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment developed by Marsha M. Linehan to treat complex, difficult-to-treat mental disorders. Originally, DBT was developed to treat individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD; Carson-Wong, Rizvi, & Steffel, 2013; Scheel, 2000). However, DBT has evolved into a treatment for multi-disorder individuals with BPD. Additionally, DBT has been adapted to treat other behavioral disorders involving emotional dysregulation, such as substance abuse, binge eating, and for settings such as hospitalization and partial hospitalization. Dimeff and Linehan (2001) described five functions involved in comprehensive DBT treatment. The first function performed by DBT is the improvement of behavioral skills. Second, it improves motivation to change by changing inhibitions and reinforcement. Third, it ensures that new capabilities can be generalized to the natural environment. Fourth, DBT structures the treatment environment in essential ways to support the client's and therapist's abilities. Ultimately, DBT improves the therapist's skills and motivation to treat clients effectively. In standard DBT, these functions are divided into treatment modalities (Dimeff & Linehan, Dialectical Behavior Therapy in a Nutshell, 2001). Historical Development/Current Use of Groups Linehan addressed the need for an effective and empirically supported psychotherapeutic treatment for borderline personality disorder. It discovered important deficiencies in standard cognitive and behavioral treatments (CBT) (Chapman & Robins, 2004). DBT was developed to address difficulties encountered when implementing standard CBT in... middle of paper ......f dialectical behavior therapy for patients with borderline personality disorder in inpatient units. Psychiatric Quarterly. Kliem, S., Kosfelder, J., & Kroger, C. (2010). Dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder: A meta-analysis using mixed-effects models. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology. Koerner, K., Swenson, C. R., & Torrey, W. C. (2002). Implementation of dialectical behavioral therapy. Psychiatry services. Koerner, K., Swenson, C. R., & Torrey, W. C. (2002). Implementation of dialectical behavior therapy. Psychiatric services. Korman, L.M., & McMain, S. (2001). Dialectical behavior therapy and treatment of emotional dysregulation. Psychotherapy in Practice, 183-196. Scheel, K. R. (2000). The empirical foundations of dialectical behavior therapy: Summary, critique, and implications. Clinical psychology: science and practice .