RO-DBT is a new form of DBT designed for individuals who cope with stress by exerting excessive self-control or overcontrol (OC). While self-control can sometimes be helpful, excessive self-control can result in a variety of distressing experiences:
Social isolation and loneliness
Hyperperfectionism and hypervigilance
Rigidity, inflexibility, and risk aversion
Extreme inhibition of urges, impulses, and desires
Excessive delay of reward and gratification
Lack of emotional expression and flat affect
Inauthentic socialization or lack of access to sense of belonging
Cynicism, bitterness, resignation, and depression
Burnout, dis-stress, dis-ease, dis-ability, and dys-regulation
Development of difficult-to-treat mental health concerns
“For OC clients, their greatest strength is their greatest weakness. Too much self-control depletes the very resources needed to override habitual self-control when doing so would be adaptive.” - Dr. Thomas Lynch, RO-DBT Treatment Developer
RO-DBT focuses on 4 main areas of mental wellness that comprise Radical Openness:
Openness: openness to change and a commitment to reframing unwanted or distressing bodily sensations, emotions, or thoughts as opportunities for growth and learning.
Flexibility: adaptability to changing environmental conditions and demands
Social connectedness: access to authentic social connection and belonging
Emotional awareness and expression: ability to effectively identify and authentically communicate emotions
Core philosophical principles of RO-DBT include:
Radical Openness: Openness to change and a commitment to reframing unwanted or distressing bodily sensations, emotions, or thoughts as opportunities for growth and learning.
Social Signaling: Activating our bodily social safety system in order to unmask and authentically engage in expressive and receptive social communication with others.
Self-Enquiry: Mindful self-reflection to generate curiosity about disempowering aspects of our core beliefs, values, and perceptions of the world. Accomplished by delaying the urge to immediately regulate or cope in order to face the discomfort and ask “what might I need to learn from this?”
Dialectical Thinking: The ability to hold two seemingly opposing beliefs in your mind simultaneously, helps us think flexibly to manage cognitive dissonance and bodily tension.
ie: I am a strong and resilient person AND sometimes I am vulnerable and in need of support
Ie: I want to change AND I feel uncertain about changing
Contact us today to schedule a free 20 minute initial consultation.
Read more about Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy at radicallyopen.net
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