Discover how starting dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
1 therapist available in Nottingham
As a mother, grandmother, and Maryland‑licensed LCSW‑C, I bring deep empathy and practical understanding to the life transitions, ...
About
As a mother, grandmother, and Maryland‑licensed LCSW‑C, I bring deep empathy and practical understanding to the life transitions, struggles, or family dynamics that matter most to you, as often the most powerful healing starts in knowing you are truly seen.
Carol Garey is a Licensed Certified Clinical Social Worker with 30 years of experience in the mental health field. She works with adolescents, adults, and seniors, both individually and in groups. Carol specializes in helping individuals, couples, and families navigate anxiety, ADHD, depression, and relational stress through a collaborative, trauma-informed approach.
Carol earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland. She blends trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, and family systems approaches to support long-term healing. Carol helps clients ease anxiety, sharpen focus, heal relational wounds, and build resilience using both practical skills and insight work.
Carol understands how anxiety, grief, burnout, or isolation can create self-doubt. She offers a warm, judgment-free space where clients feel safe, heard, and empowered. She invites prospective clients to connect and explore how therapy might support their healing journey.
Education and training
View more therapists in Nottingham
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
Not ready to book? Contact me
Look for a confirmation email in your inbox shortly. We'll help find you a provider and guide you through everything you should know about starting care at Thriveworks.
No membership fees or subscriptions
Evening and weekend sessions
Award-winning therapy & psychiatry
What support are you seeking?
You acknowledge that by submitting this form, you are providing what may be considered “sensitive data” and consent to Thriveworks Privacy Policy & Terms. By submitting this information, you consent to receive communication from Thriveworks about our services via automatic calls, artificial or pre-recorded messages, or texts at the phone number provided, or by email at the address provided. You have the option to opt out of communications.
We will contact you with availability updates based on the preferences you provided for up to six months.
Helping people in dialectical behavior therapy requires helping the clients focus on changing unhealthy behaviors and thinking patterns while also learning to regulate emotions that have triggered negative behaviors in the past. I find the best benefit in allowing the clients to learn not to label their emotions or behaviors and begin focusing on accepting the role emotions and behaviors have played in their lives. DBT is about helping the client become more mindful of their emotions and behaviors and teaching them healthier ways of coping with uncomfortable emotions.
During the dialectical behavior therapy process, the client will be able to work on learning emotional regulation strategies and address cognitive restructuring while also being able to focus on mindfulness strategies to help regulate their emotions during times of emotional distress.
I know a client is making meaningful progress in dialectical behavior therapy when there is a reduction in reports of the use of negative or harmful coping strategies, reduced episodes of emotional dysregulation, as well reports of more frequent self-awareness regarding emotional regulation.
Clients can supplement their time in dialectical behavior therapy with activities that help calm themselves, creative outlets if they enjoy them, as well as journaling as an activity to help work on self-awareness during times of emotional overwhelm.
To prepare for their first dialectical behavior therapy session, an individual can begin to think about what behaviors they are currently using to help themselves during emotionally overwhelming times. Thinking about what negative or harmful coping strategies that they have used in the past along with what they hope to get out of treatment are all things that can help prepare them for their initial session.
At Thriveworks, Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) primarily concentrates on assisting individuals in emotion regulation, enhancing interpersonal relationships, and acquiring effective coping strategies for managing stress and emotional difficulties.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) targets your personal challenges. You may work with your DBT therapist to maintain diary cards to monitor progress, emphasizing validation and support in the therapeutic relationship. DBT follows a stage-based approach, prioritizing crisis reduction initially and life satisfaction.
DBT was initially developed to address the needs of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, its versatile approach has enabled its application to a wide range of mental health conditions, including but not limited to, anxiety, depression, stress, and anger issues.
The 4 pillars of DBT are mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) have distinct purposes and aren’t inherently superior or inferior to one another. DBT is most effective for managing emotional regulation, personality disorders, and interpersonal challenges, while EMDR is specifically tailored for individuals with trauma-related conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with therapists at Thriveworks in Nottingham, MD is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
The duration of a standard DBT program is typically around 24 weeks, which is roughly six months. The actual number of sessions will vary depending on the issues you wish to address.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Shown in ET
7 photos
Call us to book
Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session.
Book online
Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps.