What is emotion dysregulation?
Emotions are a normal and important part of being human, but sometimes they can feel especially intense, unpredictable, or difficult to manage. From a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) perspective, emotion dysregulation isn’t simply about having “big emotions.” It can involve emotions that feel harder to understand, tolerate, or shift, and difficulty knowing what to do when those emotions take over.
Emotion dysregulation can show up in many ways, including intense anger, anxiety, sadness, shame, impulsive decisions, conflict with others, self-harm, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, substance use, difficulty communicating needs, or feeling overwhelmed by everyday stress. It can also lead to patterns of avoidance, withdrawal, reassurance-seeking, or other behaviors that provide short-term relief but may create additional problems over time.
Emotion dysregulation can be particularly prominent during adolescence and young adulthood, when emotional and social experiences are changing rapidly. It is also common among neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD or autism, as well as people experiencing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma-related difficulties, or other challenges. For some people, emotions simply seem to hit harder, last longer, or take more effort to come back down from.
I approach emotion dysregulation with empathy and without judgment. Rather than viewing intense emotions as something that needs to be eliminated, we work toward understanding what emotions are communicating, identifying patterns that make them harder to manage, and building more effective ways to respond.
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment that helps people build a healthier relationship with their emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. DBT is grounded in the idea that two things can be true at once: you can accept your current reality while also working toward meaningful change.
DBT teaches practical skills for recognizing and understanding emotions, tolerating distress, managing intense feelings, navigating relationships, and making choices that are more consistent with your goals and values. Rather than trying to suppress or get rid of difficult emotions, DBT helps you learn how to experience emotions without letting them automatically dictate what you do next.
As part of DBT, I teach mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills, along with behavioral strategies tailored to your specific needs. We’ll work together to understand what is happening in the moments when emotions become overwhelming and practice new ways of responding, so you can feel more capable, flexible, and in control of your choices, even when emotions are intense.
Treatment typically includes:
individual therapy
skills training
phone coaching during crises