I write an article to compare and/ or contrastthese approaches when they are both still evolvingand I personally find myself in conflict between the twoapproaches?What I decided to offer is a broad account of DBTwhich allows me to make statements relative to my interpretationof DBT with my clients and my own personalstyle. Within this I will highlight where I find some ofthe conflicts and similarities, hoping that others may beable to use the dialectic to resolve these conflicts. If youwant to know more about the real DBT follow the referencesat the end, especially those by Marsha Linehan. Forresearch purposes, the Linehan camp seeks to have DBTpractitioners adhere to particular regimes. Practitionersin the field however are applying DBT to wider and widerareas, relying on the principles delineated by Linehan, butnot adhering to all the regimes.What is DBT?DBT is a treatment for individuals of various age groups(adolescents and adults) with complex, difficult to treatand multiple difficulties. These difficulties may be presentin clients meeting the criteria for: Borderline Personality Disorder, especially with suicidaland self-harming behaviours Depression and Anxiety Complex PTSD Eating Disorders Substance Abuse and other Addictive DisordersDBT may therefore be applicable to clients with morecomplex mental health difficulties than Hakomi.DBT has been used in out-patient, in-patient, partialin-patient, community, and forensic settings. It is used bypsychologists, nurses, community health professionals,correctional institutions, and community service providers.It does not see itself as a psychotherapy but as apsychological evidence-based therapy. It emerged from atherapist, Marsha Linehan, who has a strong behavioural,Zen, and 12 Step background.Therapeutic UnderstandingsI see DBT as a therapy which weaves togetherDevelopmental, Behavioural, Zen, and DialecticalUnderstandings. Assumptions from the behaviouralpoint of view include: all behaviour has causes andeffects, complex behaviours have complex and interconnectedcauses and effects, new behaviours can be learned,learned behaviours can be and are constantly changing,behaviour is functional, and bodily responses are learned.Many of these assumptions are similar to Hakomi, withDBT recognizing the complexity of the mind body interfaceand of complex operations of feedback loops andmind body systemic interactions.11DBT is more linear in its focus than Hakomi andbelieves more strongly in the possibility of predictabilityof complex behaviour. DBT also does not use touch andplaces much more emphasis on cognitive and behaviouralinterventions than on sensory or body work. DBT is primarilya learning/ teaching approach.The developmental assumptions also have somesimilarity to Hakomi Principles. Assumptions that changeoccurs over time, that early influences are embedded inphysical and cognitive structures, that change is neitherrandom nor arbitrary, that there are individual differencesin learning and make-up, and that there are commondrives, may be more or less shared with Hakomi.Therefore there is an acceptance of a type of organicity,however the belief that healing is an act of self-recreation,and that the individual holds the strength for healingthemselves is not seen as necessarily the case. Manyorganic processes are known to turn the body againstitself and DBT sees this as the case for some clients.That is that the normal organic processes may lead toshort term resolutions with long term detriment, avoidancebeing a case in point. Therefore DBT takes a morepsycho-educational role in the change part of the therapythan I see in Hakomi.To my mind, one