Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive treatment developed for individuals with complex clinical presentations and multiple comorbidities.  DBT is intended to help people who experience pervasive emotional dysregulation, which means frequent, intense emotional responses that the individual finds difficult to change.

DBT works by helping clients learn effective strategies for regulating emotions in order to achieve more balanced emotions, behavior, and thoughts. 

DBT has been evaluated and found to be effective among individuals from diverse backgrounds in terms of age, gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity.