Reducing vulnerability to unpleasant emotions: While all emotions serve a function and have meaning, sometimes it can be helpful to find ways to protect ourselves from “spiraling” and feeling overwhelmed. The following acronym from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is used to help us remember ways to reduce our vulnerability to “spiraling:”
This exercise guides the client in attending to pleasant sensation, then unpleasant, then back to pleasant, and then trying to perceive both at once. It is a good practice of shifting attention to not ruminate on pain or troubles.
Accepting our own vulnerability is made easier when give ourselves compassion. Use this self-compassion break with clients in session or encourage them to use it on their own when working with difficult or vulnerable emotions.
This is a guided walking meditation.
Help clients experience the steadiness and continuity of their mind that is underneath mental events like emotions.
The following strategies from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can help clients get through moments of distress by improving the moment:
During the pandemic, a lot of us aren’t seeing as many people as we used to, and sometimes we can forget who we can reach out to. Take some time to make a list of people you can include in your social support network. Once you have your list of potential people, try to reach out to at least one person
This meditation is suitable for clients who may be carrying worries about the future or regrets from their past and want to experience a break from these burdens.
This meditation can help clients become more aware of emotions they are experiencing and practice observing those emotions through their senses.
Imagine oneself as a mountain as a method of grounding in the face of mental events like emotions.
