Developed by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid individuals in their efforts to build a life worth living. When DBT is successful, the individual learns to envision, articulate, pursue, and sustain goals that are independent of his or her history of out-of-control behavior, including substance abuse, and is better able to handle life’s ordinary problems (Dimeff & Linehan, 2008).
