Emotional Dysregulation: DBT for Brain Injury Recovery

Emotional dysregulation is a common challenge following brain injury, resulting from both neurobiological changes and disrupted coping strategies. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), originally developed for borderline personality disorder, offers a structured and skill-based framework to enhance emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness—key domains that are frequently impaired post-injury. This presentation introduces the core principles of DBT, explains how to adapt them for cognitive and emotional challenges associated with acquired brain injury, and provides practical applications for rehabilitation and therapy teams to improve patient participation, mood stability, and self-awareness.