The four Stages and Targets of DBT Treatment

Stephanie Vaughn

Psychē, PLLC Vanderbilt University

Key Points

  1. Standard DBT includes four stages and a pre-treatment phase.
  2. There is no timeline for moving through these stages.
  3. Targets differ in each stage.
  4. Most patients begin in stage 1, which involves behavioral stabilization.
  5. Childhood history and histories of trauma are not addressed until stage 2.
  6. Very little information exists for treatment in stages 3 and 4.

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The four Stages and Targets of DBT Treatment

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