CBT versus Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
The similarity of names sometimes leads to confusion between DBT and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The two are closely related and, in fact, DBT is a specialised form of CBT, but there are noteworthy differences between the two.

CBT is a psychotherapeutic treatment with a primary goal of helping clients understand how their thoughts and emotions are linked and influence their behaviour. The therapy uses specific goals to lead clients through the process of identifying their thoughts and learning how those thoughts to influence both feelings and behaviours. Upon completion of the therapy, clients have a much better grasp of their own thought patterns and how those patterns affect the rest of their lives. CBT is also a time-limited therapy.

DBT essentially builds on the principles learned in CBT. In other words, once clents understand how thoughts influence behaviours and emotions, they can then begin to restructure their thoughts in such a way as to produce more positive behaviours and emotions. More specifically, they learn how to create constructive thought patterns within interpersonal relationships and in those circumstances that tend to trigger volatile emotional responses.