DBT-Informed Therapy

Build emotional resilience and self-trust with DBT-informed tools designed for perfectionism, burnout, and high internal pressure.

If you’re used to holding it all together, constantly striving, or putting others’ needs first, you may have never been taught how to tend to your own emotions with care. DBT-informed therapy offers practical tools for building emotional resilience, navigating stress, and setting boundaries—without abandoning yourself. Rooted in both self-acceptance and meaningful change, this approach can help you unlearn survival patterns and reconnect with your values, especially if you’ve been shaped by trauma or identity-based stress.

What is DBT-Informed Therapy?

DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, was originally developed to support people navigating intense emotions, relationship challenges, and inner conflict. In a DBT-informed therapy approach, we integrate these tools in a flexible, personalized way — not as a rigid curriculum, but as a compassionate framework for real-life emotional skill-building.

At its core, DBT is about holding two things at once: acceptance and change. It gives you practical skills to manage overwhelming feelings, respond rather than react, and connect with yourself and others in more intentional ways. Together, we’ll explore how DBT skills can support you in living a life that’s more in alignment with your values.

How Emotional Dysregulation Impacts Daily Life

If your emotions often feel “too much” — or you’ve learned to push them down entirely — you’re not alone. Many of us never had the chance to learn how to identify, understand, or manage our feelings in healthy ways.

You might notice:

  • Feeling emotionally flooded or easily overwhelmed

  • Intense reactions that feel out of proportion — or like they come out of nowhere

  • Getting stuck in black-and-white thinking or harsh self-criticism

  • Struggles with boundaries, conflict, or communication

  • Avoiding your feelings until they erupt under pressure

  • A push-pull between needing closeness and fearing vulnerability

DBT-informed therapy can help you slow down, tune in, and develop new ways of responding — with clarity, compassion, and skill.

My Approach to DBT-Informed Therapy

My approach to DBT is grounded, collaborative, and client-centered. You don’t have to “perform” the skills perfectly — we’ll explore what feels useful and meaningful for you.

In our work, you might learn to:

  • Notice and name your emotions with more clarity

  • Set and maintain boundaries without guilt

  • Practice mindfulness and distress tolerance in real-time

  • Strengthen your self-worth and emotional resilience

  • Communicate more effectively in your relationships

  • Accept yourself while still striving for growth

We’ll adapt the skills to your unique experiences — especially if you’re navigating trauma, identity-based stress, or burnout from overfunctioning. Many clients find DBT particularly helpful when paired with other modalities like EMDR, mindfulness, and parts work.

Is DBT-Informed therapy right for you?

DBT-informed therapy may be a good fit if:

  • You often feel out of control emotionally, or shut down emotionally

  • You struggle with people-pleasing, emotional burnout, or perfectionism

  • You’re interested in learning concrete tools to help with day-to-day challenges

  • You’ve tried traditional talk therapy and are looking for more structure or skills

  • You’re ready to build emotional fluency, self-trust, and healthier relationships

You don’t have to keep guessing your way through your emotions. These are learnable skills — and you don’t have to learn them alone.

Start DBT-Informed Therapy in Maryland

I offer virtual DBT-informed therapy for adults across Maryland, including Baltimore and surrounding areas. This work is particularly supportive for LGBTQ+ clients, overfunctioning professionals, and anyone ready to break cycles of emotional survival and move toward real connection and self-trust.

Let’s help you reconnect with your emotions — not as enemies, but as messengers you can understand and work with.