Sandy Hillhouse

I offer comprehensive, adherent  Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) services for adolescents, young adults and families struggling with intense emotions, impulsivity and harmful behaviors, often including self harm and suicide attempts. DBT teaches clients and their families the skills necessary to regulate emotions, avoid self-destructive behaviors and patterns and improve interpersonal and family relationships. The overall goal of DBT is to help clients build a life worth living.   Areas of expertise: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), developed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP, at the University of Washington, was originally developed as a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). DBT was found to be especially effective for those with chronic suicidal or other severe, dysfunctional behaviors related to emotional dysregulation. As a result of DBTâ??s success in treating adults with BPD, it has been adapted for other populations including adolescents struggling with severe emotional turmoil and intensely problematic ways of dealing with their distress. At DBT has also been modified so that it can be used with other difficulties such as eating disorders, substance use, anxiety, treatment-resistant depression and anger management.