Dialectical behavior therapy
In the early 1990’s, Dr. Marsha Linehan developed an alternative therapy to treat her borderline personality disorder patients. Instead of having a one-way conversation with the patient, the therapist would engage him through the use of real world examples to elicit the desired responses. One by one, Linehan was able to teach her patients how to react differently in a variety of situations. This process removes the obstacles to treatment that had confused therapists treating suicidal patients. In a recent study, DBT has proven especially effective in reducing self-injurious behavior, suicide attempts and inpatient treatment days.