In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month
It was a day in January, 2006 when Dr. Marsha Linehan spoke to Houston therapists inviting them to learn about this evidence-based therapy that was at the time developed for people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, named Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dr.Linehan was clear what it meant to be a DBT therapist, and I left inspired with the charge that I would recruit my team and start training. I am proud to say that I did that, and it wasn’t that much longer that I was treating people with DBT and co-founding the PRISM Program in Bellaire.
When I began my intensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training back in 2006, I had no idea how deeply it would shape the course of my work—or my life. As a psychotherapist, I had already witnessed the pain people carry: overwhelming emotions, self-destructive behaviors, broken relationships, and a deep yearning to feel whole. But DBT offered something rare: a clear, evidence-based path toward emotional balance, resilience, and connection.
DBT changed everything. It gave my clients a language and structure to name their suffering—and practical tools to transform it. Over the years, I’ve watched people go from hopelessness to stability, from fear to confidence, from shame to self-respect.
You cannot be a DBT therapist without using the skills yourself and so because DBT is grounded in mindfulness, it not only helps me regulate emotions—it helps me to connect with joy. I joke that I often use the words “mindful”, “effective” and “joy” more than the average person and this is due to living these skills. My life feels more meaningful, more awake. DBT teaches us how to fully participate in our lives, moment by moment. And that, for me, has been one of the most profound gifts: the ability to show up—fully, freely, and with purpose. Living dialectically and mindfully for the 19 years I have been practicing has given me a life worth living. I am incredibly grateful.
DBT works because it meets people where they are. It teaches mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. It balances acceptance with change. It validates pain without letting it define us.
At The Awakening Center Houston (ACH), we’re proud to offer comprehensive DBT therapy for teens and adults. Our mission is to help people in our community create a lifestyle of mindfulness and emotional well-being—especially during times of struggle. We believe that healing isn’t just possible; it’s teachable, practical, and transformational.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we honor the courage it takes to ask for help. We celebrate the stories of healing that happen every day in our therapy rooms and skills groups. And we invite you to reach out—whether you’re new to therapy or looking for something deeper.
Your life is worth living. DBT can help you build it.
