The 1990s introduction of a group therapy approach used for Borderline Personality Disorder is known as?

• A. Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• B. Behavioral Activation Therapy
• C. Interpersonal Therapy
• D. Gestalt Group Therapy

Answer: (A)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the approach introduced in the 1990s that established a group skills training component for Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT blends cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness and validation, aiming to reduce emotional chaos, self-harm, and relationship instability common in BPD. The group skills training part is central because it provides clients with structured practice in four areas: mindfulness (staying present and aware), distress tolerance (getting through crises without making things worse), emotion regulation (understanding and modulating intense feelings), and interpersonal effectiveness (assertively navigating relationships). This format—combining individual work with a concurrent group skills module—was designed to give practical, teachable skills in a supportive, validation-based framework, and it has strong evidence supporting reduced self-harm and hospitalizations in people with BPD. Other options are not specifically the group-based, skill-building treatment for BPD that gained prominence in the 1990s.