Photo of Janelle Bull, MA, LMFT, EMBA, PHD Stu, Marriage & Family Therapist
Janelle Bull
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, EMBA, PHD Stu
Verified Verified
San Jose, CA 95118
Are you hurting? At some point in our lives, we all hurt. Everyone hits obstacles in life from time to time and sometimes those problems seem unsolvable. Here is the good news, there is help. I specialize in couples, families and individuals who are either in the midst of a major change, or in need of one! I work with: high-conflict couples, couples making a serious commitment or dissolving a long-term relationship, new parents, families in conflict, people with anxiety, depression, fears, low self-esteem as well as grief and bereavement related issues. I am a straightforward therapist and like to help to get issues resolved.
Are you hurting? At some point in our lives, we all hurt. Everyone hits obstacles in life from time to time and sometimes those problems seem unsolvable. Here is the good news, there is help. I specialize in couples, families and individuals who are either in the midst of a major change, or in need of one! I work with: high-conflict couples, couples making a serious commitment or dissolving a long-term relationship, new parents, families in conflict, people with anxiety, depression, fears, low self-esteem as well as grief and bereavement related issues. I am a straightforward therapist and like to help to get issues resolved.
(408) 840-2899 View (408) 840-2899
Dialectical Behavior (DBT) Therapists

Who is DBT for?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is designed for people who experience extreme emotional suffering because they lack the skills of emotion regulation and distress tolerance. The basic affliction can underlie a wide range of conditions, from borderline and other personality disorders to PTSD and treatment-resistant anxiety and depression. The therapy is helpful to those whose emotional reactivity is so intense it is disruptive to everyday functioning and leads to frequent crises.

Why do people need DBT?

The ability to regulate emotions is a core psychological skill that enables people to function in life and pay attention to the world outside themselves; it is consistently associated with well-being. DBT is designed to help people learn how to manage and regulate their emotions. Originally developed to treat people with borderline personality disorder whose extreme emotional suffering led to self-harming behavior and suicide attempts, the therapy is now applied to other conditions involving emotion dysregulation, particularly when other treatments have failed.

What happens in DBT?

Individuals meet weekly with their therapist to discuss their experiences relating to moods, behavior, and skills. Using checklists they maintain, they review emotional experiences and positive practices they engage in. The diaries help individuals discern what led up to a specific problem encountered, this is followed by discussion of the consequences of their actions. In addition, individuals may meet in class-like small groups to learn skills such as mindfulness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

How long does DBT last?

Because it is intended to establish long-lasting behavioral change among those with persistent problems, DBT is designed to last six months to a year. DBT includes both weekly sessions of individual therapy and weekly skills-training sessions conducted in small groups. Studies of DBT have documented improvement within a year of treatment, particularly in controlling self-harmful behavior; nevertheless, individuals may require therapy for several years.