Message from the Director
The advent of DBT into healthcare in Lebanon has been long overdue. It is our pleasure and honor to bring to you this gold-standard treatment for many severe emotional problems, in
both English and Arabic.
The concept of “dialectics” is not novel, as dialectics are everywhere around us
and have been tackled by philosophers, scientists, and religions for millennia. The power of DBT lies in transforming this concept into practical, applicable principles and skills that can truly improve our lives. The dialectical way of thinking is about bringing together differing views, that may often appear paradoxical or opposite, all of which are true at the same time. We are born into a dialectic – the one of life itself, as we have no choice to be born and yet a choice over whether and how to live. We function in and around dialectics like wanting to be alone and with people; depending on others and being independent; liking and disliking at the same time; destiny and choice; and the list goes on. Through DBT, we continue to learn how to manage these dialectics in order to behave in ways that build us a life worth living. And we do this together, a community of therapists treating a community of patients.
Creating this program has been a dream come true, and our team is thrilled to have the opportunity to offer these services to many who are suffering, in silence or in crying out loud. We look forward to joining you in your life journey, and may we all continue to move towards a life that we want to live!
Warmly,
Dinah Ayna, PhD
Meet the Team
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Dr. Dinah Ayna Founding Director
Team Leader
| Dr. Nadia Dandan Co-Leader and DBT Therapist
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Fatima Abdullah, MA DBT Therapist
| Ms. Fatima Farhat, MA DBT Therapist
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Dr. Wael Shamseddeen Consultant Psychiatrist
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What Is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a psychological treatment offering a way of being that relies on finding the synthesis in different perspectives. By design, DBT is a principle-based treatment that combines acceptance with change-based strategies in order to help individuals build a life worth living. The term “dialectical” refers to the interaction of conflicting ideas. To achieve this, DBT aims to replace problematic or ineffective behaviors with healthier coping skills, such as mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
What Can DBT Treat and How Does It Work?
DBT is an evidence-based treatment that has become the Gold Standard for treating suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Marsha Linehan developed this therapy in the early 1990s specifically for the treatment of BPD. DBT aims to address the symptoms of BPD by replacing maladaptive behaviors with healthier coping skills, such as awareness, effectively communicating with self and others, regulating one’s emotions, and tolerating distress. Research has also shown DBT to be effective in treatment of substance use disorders, mood disorders (e.g. anxiety and depression), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders in both adults and adolescents.
How Is DBT Done?
DBT is a community of therapists treating a community of patients. Comprehensive or Standard DBT is the most scientifically studied and evidence-based form of offering DBT.
Comprehensive DBT has 4 elements that target patients and one element that targets therapists. Our program offers comprehensive DBT, and the components are as follows:
- Individual Therapy
The individual therapist is the focal point of support for individuals in DBT. Therapy is the place to discuss all issues of relevance to the person. The therapist’s role is to listen, empathize, and use the model to help define and achieve a life worth living.
- Skills Training Group
DBT teaches skills in 4 areas of functioning: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. These skills are taught in a class-like format, where members learn, practice, and report back to the group.
- Phone Coaching
DBT members can reach out to their individual DBT therapist between sessions. The purpose of phone coaching is to help individuals generalize skills and the dialectical way of living to their own lives.
- Consultation Team (For Therapists)
The consultation team is an integral part of DBT. It is designed to ensure that providers adhere to the model, remain updated with developments in the field, and receive the support they need in doing this work. Ultimately, caring for the therapist significantly improves patient care and continuity of services.
- Environmental Case Management
The DBT therapist helps in the management of any environmental factors that the individual is not able to attend to on their own, and are negatively impacting the ability to improve. Examples include meetings with family members or assisting with issues at work.
What Languages Does The DBT Program Offer?
We offer services in Arabic and English.
How Do I Know If DBT Is the Right Treatment for Me?
The DBT Program has different levels of screening to help you determine whether this is the right fit for your needs at this point in your life. For some people, skills group alone may be enough. Others may need Comprehensive DBT. The process goes as follows:
Step 1: Contact the Department of Psychiatry and request DBT screening, or ask your primary provider for a referral
Step 2: Our DBT Coordinator will call you to conduct an initial phone screener and either schedule a full screening session, or provide resources/referrals as needed.
Step 3: We will schedule a feedback session to discuss screening results and recommendations
How Long Is the Treatment?
DBT generally requires a commitment of one year. The exact amount of time, however, varies depending on many personal, environmental, and other life factors.
How Old Do I Need to Be to Join?
The DBT Program currently offers services for adolescents age 13 and older, as well as adults.
How Do I Get This Process Started?
Contact the Department of Psychiatry at the direct line +961- 1- 759620.
Together, we can build a life that is worth living!