There’s a lot more to the process than just learning the basic skills of DBT. Generally, most DBT therapists follow a series of steps that may include the following: Stage 1: Many patients begin therapy in a state of crisis, so it’s first important to help them stabilize and establish an atmosphere of safety and calm. This starts with teaching patients how to gain some control over their emotions in the short term. Stage 2: Most patients have more stable behavior in this stage, but emotional reactions can still cause occasional trouble. The therapist helps the patient to safely explore the causes of emotional pain instead of burying it. Stage 3: This stage focuses on the maintenance of healthy behavior and reasonable goal-setting. In this phase, you focus on pursuing happiness and stability. Stage 4: In this phase, you focus more on big-picture goals. You determine the goals you want to achieve and make plans to go after them. The focus is not only on maintaining happiness and stability but also on pursuing spiritual fulfillment.