Office of Dr. Tasmina Sheikh MD

What is DBT and How Can It Help?

December 26, 2024

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a specialized form of therapy designed for individuals who experience intense emotions that feel overwhelming or hard to manage. It’s particularly effective for people struggling with mood swings, self-destructive behaviors, or difficulties in relationships.

How DBT Works

DBT combines two key ideas:

1. Acceptance: Learning to accept yourself and your emotions without judgment.

2. Change: Building skills to regulate emotions, handle stress, and improve relationships.


DBT focuses on four main areas:

1. Mindfulness: Staying present and aware in the moment.

2. Distress Tolerance: Managing crises without making the situation worse.

3. Emotion Regulation: Understanding and controlling intense feelings.

4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Communicating clearly and setting boundaries in relationships.


How is DBT Different from CBT?

While DBT and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) share some similarities, their goals and approaches differ:

In short, CBT focuses more on thinking, while DBT focuses more on feeling and reacting.

Who Benefits from DBT?


DBT is particularly helpful for:

  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Mood disorders
  • Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
  • Difficulty managing anger or frustration
  • Severe anxiety or emotional dysregulation


DBT is ideal for anyone who feels their emotions are unpredictable or overwhelming.


How Palm Atlantic Psychiatry Can Help

At Palm Atlantic Psychiatry, we’re here to support your mental health journey. While we don’t provide therapy, including DBT, we can:

  • Refer You to DBT Therapists: We work with trusted therapists who specialize in DBT to help you get the care you need.
  • Provide Medication Management: If you’re dealing with intense moods or emotional instability, we offer medications that can complement DBT and support your overall treatment plan.
  • Conduct Comprehensive Evaluations: To determine if DBT or other treatments are the right fit for you.


The Goal of DBT

The main goal of DBT is to help you build a life you feel is worth living. Through skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation, DBT provides practical tools to help you regain control and balance in your life.


Take the First Step

If you’re ready to explore DBT or need help managing intense emotions, contact Palm Atlantic Psychiatry. We’ll guide you toward effective therapy options and provide expert medication management to help you feel more in control. Together, we’ll help you take the first steps toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.


DBT is highly effective because it’s specifically designed to help people with intense emotions and self-destructive behaviors. Here’s why it works so well:

  1. Focus on Skills: DBT teaches practical skills for managing emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships. These are tools people can use daily to handle real-life challenges.
  2. Combines Acceptance and Change: Unlike other therapies that focus only on changing behavior, DBT helps people accept who they are while working on making positive changes. This balance makes it easier for individuals to stay motivated.
  3. Targets Emotional Regulation: For people with mood instability, DBT provides tools to understand and manage intense emotions rather than reacting impulsively.
  4. Structure and Support: DBT includes weekly therapy sessions and skills groups, creating a structured environment where people feel supported while they practice new behaviors.
  5. Proven Methods: DBT is evidence-based, meaning research shows it works. It’s especially effective for conditions like Borderline Personality Disorder, severe anxiety, and chronic suicidality.
  6. Focus on Relationships: DBT emphasizes improving communication and setting boundaries, which can help repair strained relationships and build a stronger support system.


By addressing both emotional and practical challenges, DBT empowers people to take control of their lives and build healthier habits, which is why it’s considered a gold-standard treatment for emotional dysregulation.


Benefits of Computerized Psychological Assessments

The Benefits of Computerized Psychological Assessments for Mental Health

January 31, 2025
When it comes to diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, accuracy is key. The more precise the diagnosis, the better the treatment plan can be tailored to meet the patient’s unique needs. At Palm Atlantic Psychiatry, we utilize computerized psychological assessments to provide a comprehensive, objective view of your mental health. These assessments are designed to give both patients and providers a clear understanding of the underlying issues, offering valuable insights that can guide diagnosis and treatment planning. Here’s how computerized psychological assessments can benefit you and improve your mental wellness journey: 1. Accurate and Objective Mental Health Diagnoses Traditional methods of diagnosing mental health conditions, such as patient interviews and paper-based tests, are often subjective. Computerized psychological assessments, on the other hand, use standardized tests that produce **objective data**. This allows for a more accurate diagnosis of conditions such as: - Depression - Anxiety disorders - ADHD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Personality disorders The objectivity of these computerized assessments ensures that providers are relying on concrete data rather than subjective interpretations, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis. 2. Comprehensive Understanding of Mental Health Computerized psychological assessments provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of a patient's mental health. These tools are designed to evaluate various cognitive and emotional aspects, such as: - Cognitive functioning (memory, attention, and problem-solving skills) - Emotional regulation - Behavioral patterns By collecting this data, providers at Palm Atlantic Psychiatry can identify not just the symptoms, but also the underlying factors contributing to your mental health concerns. This holistic view allows for more effective treatment planning and helps patients better understand how their minds work. 3. Data-Driven Treatment Plans One of the key benefits of computerized psychological assessments is that they allow for data-driven treatment plans. With the detailed results from these assessments, providers can create highly personalized care plans that address your specific needs. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, or ADHD, having a treatment plan tailored to your unique cognitive and emotional profile ensures that the approach will be more effective. For example, patients who show higher levels of stress-related cognitive impairments may benefit from a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and lifestyle adjustments. Similarly, patients with attention issues identified through these assessments might be directed toward medication management or behavioral therapies specifically designed to improve focus and executive functioning. 4. Monitoring Progress Over Time Another advantage of using computerized psychological assessments is that they provide an excellent way to monitor progress over time. As treatment progresses, patients can retake assessments to see how their mental health has improved. This allows providers to adjust treatment plans as needed, ensuring that patients continue to make progress. Tracking your progress can be motivating and give you a clear sense of improvement, which is often hard to gauge through feelings alone. Seeing your results on paper—or rather, on a screen—can provide the motivation to stay on track with your treatment. 5. Quick and Easy Administration One of the most significant benefits for patients is the ease of taking computerized psychological assessments. These assessments can often be completed quickly, sometimes in as little as 20-30 minutes. They are typically user-friendly, making them accessible for individuals who may be less familiar with technology. This convenience helps reduce the stress or anxiety that can sometimes accompany traditional testing methods. Additionally, the results are available almost immediately, allowing providers to review and interpret the data right away. This quick turnaround helps reduce wait times for diagnosis and treatment planning, getting patients on the path to wellness sooner. 6. Tailored to Specific Needs Computerized psychological assessments are often tailored to meet specific needs. At Palm Atlantic Psychiatry, we use these assessments to help identify a variety of mental health conditions and cognitive challenges. Whether you're coming in for an evaluation related to ADHD, depression, or anxiety, we can use specific tools designed for these areas, ensuring the assessment is relevant to your unique circumstances. Why Choose Palm Atlantic Psychiatry for Your Mental Health Assessment? At Palm Atlantic Psychiatry, we believe in the power of evidence-based approaches to mental health care. Our computerized assessments give us the data we need to make informed decisions about your treatment plan. In addition to these tools, we offer a variety of other services, such as medication management, supportive therapy, and holistic treatment options. Together, these tools provide a comprehensive view of your mental and emotional health, helping you live a more balanced and fulfilling life. While computerized psychological assessments are an excellent tool for understanding your mental health, it’s important to note that they are self-pay services and not covered by insurance. However, the value of having a personalized, data-driven plan for mental wellness far outweighs the cost. Investing in these assessments can lead to better outcomes, reduced trial and error with treatment, and a faster path to feeling like yourself again. If you’re ready to take control of your mental health and gain clarity through data-driven insights, schedule your computerized psychological assessment today with Palm Atlantic Psychiatry. You can also sign up for our career coaching waitlist, starting in spring 2025, to align your career goals with your mental wellness journey.

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