The application of dialectical behavior therapy to the treatment of eating disorders Original Research Article

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a treatment that was originally designed to treat patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Recent empirical evidence suggests that this treatment may also have some promise for the treatment of eating disorder patients. We propose that appropriately trained therapists may use the standard DBT model with some adjustments for an eating disorder diagnosis. These adjustments are both theoretical and practical and include broadening the biosocial theory, developing eating disorder-specific dialectics, highlighting eating disorder behaviors in the treatment targets, expanding the diary card, and adding a nutrition skills module.