A good candidate is typically someone who struggles with emotional intensity, self-destructive behaviors, or unstable relationships, and who needs practical skills to manage life better.

• You might be a good fit for DBT if:

• • You feel emotions intensely and quickly

DBT’s emotional regulation skills could be life-changing if you regularly feel like your emotions are consuming, come out of nowhere, and take forever to calm down.

• • You engage in self-harm, suicidal behaviors, or impulsive actions

DBT was specifically designed to shrink these high-risk behaviors by concentrating on keeping you safe first and then on long-term healing.

• • Your relationships are chaotic or painful

DBT’s interpersonal effectiveness skills can help a lot if you find yourself stuck in patterns of push-pull relationships, fear of abandonment, or frequent conflicts.

• • You experience chronic feelings of emptiness, anger, or self-hatred
    
    

DBT teaches acceptance skills to validate these feelings while working toward healthier emotional patterns.

• • You’ve tried other therapies (like CBT) and they didn’t fully work

DBT’s action-focused approach might be a better match if traditional talk therapy helped your thoughts a little but not your emotions or behaviors.

• • You struggle with black-and-white thinking

For example, (“I’m either a total failure or a complete success.”)

DBT’s emphasis on dialectics and finding the middle path directly addresses this.

• Signs DBT might be right for you:

• • You need concrete tools and skills

DBT isn’t just talking about your problems. It’s learning skills you practice every day.

• • You’re willing to work hard between sessions
    
    

DBT requires homework, like filling out diary cards or practicing mindfulness exercises.

• • You can commit to showing up regularly

DBT often asks for a serious time commitment: weekly individual sessions, weekly group sessions, and sometimes phone coaching.

• • You want a balance between acceptance and change

DBT offers a unique balance if you feel exhausted from constantly being told to “just change” or “just accept it”:

• • • You are valid as you are.
    • And you can work to change what’s hurting you.
    • Questions to ask yourself to know if it’s right:
    • Am I overwhelmed by my emotions and need better ways to cope?
    • Have other therapies helped my thinking, but not how I feel or act?
    • Am I ready to work hard, practice new abilities, and stick with it even when it’s uncomfortable?
    • Do I want a therapy that’s practical, structured, and aimed at real-life change?

DBT could be a great fit if you said yes to most of those.