DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT) EDMONTON
Evidence-informed DBT in Edmonton for emotional overwhelm, panic, conflict, and self-harm urges — in person in South Edmonton or online across Alberta.
Are Intense Emotions, Panic, or Relationship Conflict Taking Over Your Life?
When emotions feel explosive, you say or do things you don’t mean, spiral into shame, or shut down completely, it can feel impossible to stay in control. At Life Collective Counselling in Edmonton (South Edmonton, 51 Ave NW), we use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help you regulate big emotions, pause before reacting, and build safer, more stable relationships. If your main struggle is worry/overthinking, also see CBT Therapy in Edmonton
If you’re looking for DBT therapy in Edmonton, our team can support you in person or online across Alberta.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured therapy model designed to help people who experience intense emotions, impulsive reactions, chronic overwhelm, or urges to self-harm. If trauma or triggers are central, learn about EMDR Therapy in Edmonton. If the pain point is your relationship, explore EFT Couples Therapy or Gottman Method
“Dialectical” means two things can be true at once:
“I’m doing the best I can right now”
“I also want to learn better ways to cope”
DBT teaches you practical, repeatable skills to:
Stay grounded when emotions spike
Reduce impulsive or self-destructive behaviours
Communicate needs without melting down or shutting off
Build a life that actually feels worth staying in
It’s not “just talk.” DBT is very hands-on and skill-focused.
How Does DBT Work?
DBT focuses on four core skill areas:
Emotion Regulation:
Understanding and calming intense feelings instead of being ruled by them.Distress Tolerance:
Getting through crisis moments without making things worse (no self-harm, no blowing up your relationship, no quitting your job in anger).Interpersonal Effectiveness:
Asking for what you need, setting boundaries, and standing up for yourself — without guilt, rage, or shutdown.Mindfulness:
Slowing your nervous system, becoming aware of what’s actually happening right now instead of reacting to old fears and stories.
Together with your therapist, you’ll learn, practice, and apply these skills in real situations from your life: relationships, work stress, family conflict, intimacy, shame cycles, etc.
What Can DBT Help With?
Clients choose DBT therapy in Edmonton for rapid, skills-based support with:
Emotional Overwhelm & Intense Reactions
Anger that spikes fast and feels uncontrollable
Panic attacks / anxiety that hijacks your body (see Anxiety Counselling Edmonton)
Feeling constantly “too much” for people
Shame spirals after conflict
Feeling numb and then suddenly flooded
Self-Harm & Crisis Support
Urges to self-harm
Thoughts of “I don’t want to be here anymore”
Emotional collapse after breakups, rejection, or abandonment fears
“I screw everything up and I can’t stop”
Relationship & Attachment Stress
Explosive fights followed by apologies and fear of being left
Fear of abandonment, jealousy, cling/pull-push cycles
“We’re either amazing or it’s a disaster — there is no middle”
Boundary issues, people-pleasing, resentment, emotional shutdown
Identity, Safety & Self-Worth
Struggles with self-esteem and self-image
Feeling “broken,” “too dramatic,” or “unlovable”
High sensitivity to rejection or criticism
Ongoing emotional pain tied to trauma, invalidation, or abuse
If you’re wondering, “Is DBT right for me?”, that’s something we can talk through together. You don’t have to diagnose yourself before you reach out.
Is DBT Effective?
DBT was originally developed to help people who felt “nothing else works for me.” Since then, it’s become a leading approach for emotional dysregulation, self-harm urges, chronic conflict, and intense relationship patterns.
Clients often report:
Fewer self-destructive impulses
A stronger ability to pause before reacting
Less shame after difficult moments
More stability in relationships
Feeling more in control of their own story
DBT doesn’t ask you to “be less sensitive.” It helps you survive being this sensitive in a world that sometimes isn’t.
What to Expect in a DBT Session
At Life Collective Counselling (South Edmonton), DBT is collaborative, validating, and practical. Your therapist is not here to judge you — they’re here to help you build a life that hurts less.
Your DBT session may include:
Talking about what blew up or collapsed for you this week
Naming what emotion actually showed up underneath (panic, shame, abandonment fear, rage)
Practicing how to ride that emotion next time without self-harm, shutdown, or attacking someone you love
Learning scripts to ask for what you need without apologizing for existing
Building distress tolerance plans for “when it gets really bad”
Our goal is to help you feel safer in your own body, safer in your relationships, and safer with your emotions.
Meet Our CBT Therapists in Edmonton
Our skilled CBT therapists are here to support you. Book an appointment today
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Karl Merritt
Clinical Counsellor
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Sujata Poudel
Registered Social Worker
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Kirsten Brinks
Psychology Intern
Book Your DBT Session in Edmonton
You’re not “too much.” You’re someone with a nervous system that’s working overtime to protect you. Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help you build skills to survive the big emotions, the urges, the explosions, and the shame that follows — without abandoning yourself.
You deserve support that actually meets the level of what you’re carrying.