Finding Middle Path Podcast

The GIVE Skill in Interpersonal Effectiveness is a great reminder of our approach and how we address people who we are asking something from or saying No to. It is hard to set boundaries and learning how to ask for our needs to be met. The give skill is a way to slow it down, focus on the things you can control ( such as your body, tone of voice and approach ) and getting what you need.

Want to learn how to effectively ask for what you WANT and what you NEED? DEAR MAN is the skill for you. Now that I have given you the sales pitch, I am sure you are wondering how true and effective this skill is. Why not try it?

While we move into the section of Interpersonal Effectiveness of DBT it is important to know our goals and set a corse of what we are intending to learn. Learn more at www.findingmiddlepath.com

The ABC Please skill are important for many reasons. We not only need a way to validate our emotions when they happen ( like we just learned in Fitting the Facts ) we also need to know all the different reasons our mood is impacted.

Winter can be tough for many reasons. It is dark, there is snow and many times we just want to stay in. Most of that is ok, it is when it starts to impact other areas of our lives and we start to see our mood declining. This is the purpose of knowing the difference between down mood, a depressive episode and something called Seasonal Affect Disorder.

Since we have been journeying through the Emotion Regulation part of DBT we have gotten to the Changing your Emotion and Opposite Action. This is where we move from validation into action. We identify the initial urge we feel when the emotion pops up and what action we need to engage in to start to conquer the emotion. 

These simple acts of recognizing the emotion, validating it and then deciding what to do next is starting to add up. You will start to see where the change is happening. Find the chart and other information at www.findingmiddlepath.com.

When you have a problem ( any problem ) we can become overwhelmed in finding an answer. Often times we need some steps to help us get control of our emotions and know where to even begin. Problem Solving in DBT happens after we have realized that an emotion is justified ( or Fits the Facts ) and we have given ourself some validation.

We recently reviewed the book 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to overcome Chronic Distraction & Accomplish Your Goals on our Podcast. I discussed how I have personally used this book and how I use it in our practice. As a DBT therapist I use the skills in my daily life and I teach them. Yet as I use the skills I find ways to expand the skills and interweave books that help a person become an overall Skillful Person.

We are finishing up the Fitting the Facts/Justified Emotions with discussing : Jealousy, Shame, Guilt and Love. Learn that emotions have a purpose and when they fit in the facts then you can learn to validate those emotions. 

Remember, learning DBT skills is learning small changing skills that add up to big change for a life time. 

Be sure to check out the chart at www.findingmiddlepath.com .

This is Part 1 of Emotion Regulation and understanding the skill Fitting the Facts and Justified Emotions. 

Each one of our emotions has a purpose and knowing how to Validate them first helps us to control them and then learn what to do next. This skill is so powerful in teaching you how to understand their true purpose. Be sure to check out the chart that goes along with it at www.findingmiddlepath.com.