DBT and Support for Intense Emotions | Brunswick & Online
Is this for you?
Do your emotions sometimes feel too big, too fast or too hard to come down from? Do relationships feel intense or hard to keep steady? Do you sometimes cope in ways that help in the moment but leave you feeling worse later?
If so, you’re not alone, and it’s not a sign that something is wrong with you. Many people feel emotions more intensely than others, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was developed to help with exactly this.
I have a special interest in DBT and in supporting people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and intense emotions. I’ve completed comprehensive DBT training and Radically Open DBT training, and I’ve facilitated DBT groups in a private hospital setting since 2022. You don’t need a diagnosis of BPD to benefit.
What I offer
Individual DBT-informed therapy. Weekly or fortnightly 50-minute sessions that combine DBT skills with support for what’s happening in your life right now. We focus on what matters most to you, whether that’s managing overwhelming emotions, reducing urges to act in ways you later regret, or improving relationships.
DBT skills coaching. A structured, skills-focused option. We work through the four DBT skills areas together, with practice between sessions so the skills become second nature. This suits people who want to build skills without a full therapy program, or who’ve finished a DBT group and want to keep practising.
Radically Open DBT. A version of DBT for people who tend to hold things in rather than let them out. It may suit you if you’re highly self-critical, perfectionistic, emotionally guarded, or find it hard to feel close to others.
How long does DBT Therapy take, and what can I expect?
Everyone is different. Skills coaching often runs for around [12–24 sessions], and longer-term individual therapy usually for [6–12 months or more]. We’ll review progress together regularly, and you’re always welcome to tell me what is and isn’t working.
In our first session, we’ll talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you’d like to be different, and which option suits you best. There’s no pressure to share everything at once.
What is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)?
DBT was developed by psychologist Dr Marsha Linehan for people experiencing intense, ongoing emotional pain. It’s now one of the most well-researched therapies for BPD, and it’s also helpful for depression, self-criticism and difficulties managing emotions more generally.
DBT is based on a simple but powerful idea: you can accept yourself as you are and, at the same time, work towards change. Many people who feel emotions intensely grew up feeling misunderstood or told their feelings were “too much”. DBT offers understanding of why emotions feel the way they do, along with practical skills to make them more manageable.
The goal is to help you build a life that feels worth living: meaningful, connected and your own.
Skills developed through Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
The four skills areas are:
Mindfulness: staying present.
Learning to notice what’s happening inside and around you, so you have more choice about where your attention goes, rather than being pulled along by difficult thoughts, urges and feelings.
Distress tolerance: getting through hard moments.
Skills for surviving painful moments without making things worse, so you can ride out the wave until it passes.
Emotion regulation: understanding and managing emotions.
Learning what emotions are telling you, reducing how vulnerable you are to overwhelming feelings, and finding ways to shift emotions that aren’t helping.
Interpersonal effectiveness: relationships that feel steadier.
Asking for what you need, saying no, and handling conflict, in ways that protect both your relationships and your self-respect.
Fees, Medicare and booking
- Sessions: $260 (50 minutes), in person in Brunswick or online anywhere in Victoria
- Online appointments: Monday to Friday, including after-hours
- In-person appointments: Friday evenings and Saturdays
- Medicare: rebates are available with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your regular GP (link to the Fees page)
Not sure if DBT is right for you? Book a free 15-minute phone consultation to talk it through, with no obligation.
Need urgent help?
rks Psychology is not a crisis service. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
- 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Reference: Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.).
We acknowledge that this practice is located on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations, the traditional custodians of the land.
We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.