DBT in Melbourne

Helping you to build a toolkit for the moments that emotions take over

When it feels like there's no in-between

Maybe it’s going from calm to completely overwhelmed in a matter of seconds, with no warning. Perhaps it could be saying or doing something in the heat of the moment that you regret instantly. It could be feeling so much so fast, that the only way through seems to be some kind of release, like the urge to self harm, lash out or completely shut down. Relationships might feel like a pendulum swinging between feeling incredibly close and falling apart.

DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) is another evidence-based approach used at The Felt Sense to help with exactly this. Developed by Dr Marsha Linehan, it combines practical, skills-based strategies with mindfulness and acceptance. The word "dialectical" means holding two truths simultaneously (e.g., accepting that things are difficult AND changes can also be made). DBT is especially effective for building tangible strategies for managing moments that feel unmanageable.

A common misconception about DBT is that it is only for people with a Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis. In reality, DBT skills are just as useful for anyone who struggles with impulsive reactions and intense emotions, or who people who experience difficulties maintaining healthy relationships. A particular diagnosis is not required for this work to potentially be relevant to you.

Warm, welcoming therapy room at The Felt Sense used for DBT sessions in Melbourne

Helping you to identify the markers of a life worth living

How DBT can help

DBT has been found widely effective for managing intense emotional experiences and relationships, and can help with:

  • Feeling like your emotions go from calm to overwhelming in seconds

  • Saying or doing things in the heat of the moment that you regret afterwards

  • Urges to self harm or turning to risky or impulsive behaviours to cope

  • Relationships that swing between very close and falling apart

  • Feeling like everything is either fine or a crisis, with not much in between

  • Struggling to manage conflict without shutting down or exploding

  • Struggling to maintain friendships or communicate your needs to others

If you often feel like your emotions are steering the car rather than you, DBT offers practical skills for riding out intense moments without acting in ways that make things harder afterwards. At The Felt Sense, DBT skills are woven into individual sessions in Thornbury and via telehealth, tailored to you through customising an emotion regulation plan.

Therapist explaining how DBT skills can help manage intense emotions at The Felt Sense

  • DBT is built around four key skill areas:

    1. Mindfulness (noticing what's happening in the present moment, without judging it)

    2. Distress tolerance (getting through a crisis or intense moment without making it worse)

    3. Emotion regulation (understanding and reducing the intensity of difficult emotions over time)

    4. Interpersonal effectiveness (asking for what you need and setting boundaries while keeping relationships intact).

    DBT teaches practical ways to ride the wave of emotions and to respond intentionally rather than reacting on autopilot.

  • Sessions combine learning specific skills with applying them to what is currently going on in your life. You may be invited to look at a recent moment where things felt overwhelming, and how to establish a toolkit of skills for responding effectively next time. Over time you will have a personalised set of strategies that you can reach for when things get difficult.

  • You don't need to have your emotions under control before starting DBT, as it is designed to specifically create a safe starting point for these moments. We will move at a pace that feels manageable by prioritising building safety and coping tools before working with anything more distressing.

  • Each skill category centres around finding balance, and making space for multiple truths rather than all or nothing responses.

    Mindfulness is about slowing down enough to notice what you're feeling and thinking without immediately reacting to it.

    Distress tolerance is about getting through the worst moment of a crisis without making it worse. This focuses on accepting emotional distress and building tolerance/capacity for coping.

    Emotion regulation is about understanding your emotional patterns well enough to reduce their intensity over time.

    Interpersonal effectiveness is about communicating your needs and boundaries clearly. Effectiveness involves three simultaneous targets:

    1. Getting your needs met

    2. Preserving the relationship

    3. Maintaining self-respect

  • Feel free to book a free 15-minute chat to get a sense of whether The Felt Sense feels like the right fit for you. From there, we'll organise your first session, in person in Thornbury, Melbourne, or via telehealth. No referral is needed to book, though if you have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, bring the details along so your Medicare rebate can be processed from the start.