Just What Is “Dialectical” About Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Article Abstract Because this piece does not have an abstract, we have provided for your benefit the first 3 sentences of the full text. To the Editor: Regarding the recent study published in the Journal by Goodman et al one possible explanation for the failure of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to demonstrate significant improvement is criterion deficiency resulting from a misapplication of the term dialectic. Using fancy words like dialetic is inherently suspicious, particularly in unexpected, anomalous contexts—such as psychotherapy. When asked to explain what it means, most DBT clinicians will make odd gestures with their hands and say something about "validating the client" while simultaneously "pushing for change."