Core Mindfulness in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Chamberlain International School provides individualized education and clinical care for students between the ages of 11 and 22. At Chamberlain International School, all students participate in clinical groups, one of which progresses students through dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).

When therapy participants begin learning the skills of DBT, they typically begin with core mindfulness. This module centers on the concept of wise mind, which the methodology teaches as a balanced middle ground between logical mind and emotion mind. Instead of making purely rational decisions or acting on feelings without regard for consequences, wise mind allows an individual to acknowledge his or her feelings without judgment and consciously choose a goal-focused action.

Participants learn to do this by developing what DBT terms the “what” skills of observation, description, and participation. Participants pay attention to their own feelings and describe them in a way that honors their experience. This allows them to then engage with life in a way that is fully present and aware, so that they do not find themselves at the mercy of strong emotions.

The “how” skills of mindfulness, including non-judgmental thinking as well as one-mindfulness and effectiveness, support this learning process. Participants learn not to attach a value judgment to their experience but instead to focus on the moment as it is. This helps each individual learn to notice maladaptive or distorted thinking and acknowledge it without blaming himself or herself.

Effectiveness pulls all of these concepts together. It guides the participant toward a state in which he or she is able to name and acknowledge feelings, separate them from the reality of the moment, and choose an action that is goal-directed rather than reactive.