Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT-Informed) in Toronto
DBT-Informed Therapy in Toronto
Some people feel things at a higher volume. Emotions arrive fast, hit hard and take a long time to settle — and in the moment, the only options seem to be exploding or shutting down. That isn't a personal failing. It's a nervous system that hasn't yet had the tools it needs. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy offers some of the most practical of those tools.
We offer DBT-informed individual therapy in person near Trinity Bellwoods and online across Ontario.
What is DBT?
DBT is a skills-based, evidence-based therapy for people who experience emotions intensely. Its central idea — the "dialectic" — is holding two truths at once: you're doing the best you can, and you can learn to do things differently. Validation and change, together.
Where it comes from
Psychologist Marsha Linehan developed DBT in the late 1980s and early 1990s, adapting behavioural therapy for people whose emotional pain was so intense that standard approaches felt invalidating. She added acceptance and mindfulness practices drawn from contemplative traditions. DBT has since been adapted for many concerns involving emotional dysregulation.
How DBT works
DBT teaches four sets of skills:
Mindfulness — noticing what's happening inside and around you without immediately reacting
Distress tolerance — getting through a crisis moment without making it worse
Emotion regulation — understanding your emotions, reducing vulnerability to them, and changing the ones that don't fit the facts
Interpersonal effectiveness — asking for what you need and setting limits while protecting your relationships and self-respect
In a DBT-informed approach, your therapist teaches and practises these skills with you in individual sessions, tailored to the situations where you get stuck.
What DBT can help with
Intense or rapidly shifting emotions
Emotional overwhelm and shutdown
Anger and reactivity
Impulsive behaviour you later regret
Conflict-heavy relationships
ADHD-related emotional dysregulation
Anxiety and depression with a strong emotional-intensity component
DBT at Noema is offered by
Is DBT therapy right for me?
It may be a good fit if emotions often feel bigger than the situation, if you want practical skills rather than only insight, or if your reactions are straining your relationships.
DBT in Little Portugal and across Ontario
Visit us at 1364 Dundas Street West on the 505 streetcar, near Trinity Bellwoods, Parkdale and Roncesvalles, or meet online from anywhere in Ontario.
FAQs
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No. It was first developed in that context, but its skills help anyone who struggles with intense emotions.
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Usually. Skills stick when you practise them between sessions.
Here’s How to Connect
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