DBT Expanded Edition - Bridge Burning: A Skill for Preventing Urges from Becoming Actions

If you experience a strong urge to do a target behavior, it can only become an action if there is a “bridge” to the people, places, and things you need to make it happen. If you want to decrease the likelihood of acting on a strong urge to do a target behavior, you can “burn bridges” to the people, places, and things you would need to put the urge into action.

In this video, Dr. May talks about the Bridge Burning skill and how it applies to various target behaviors (e.g., self-injury, addiction, toxic relationships, binge eating, spending, gambling). She offers additional tips for helping this skill be more effective.

**This channel contains videos of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, Radically Open DBT skills, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Attachment Styles, Developmental Trauma Styles, and much more! Please check out the other videos and feel free to SUBSCRIBE.

Reference:
Pederson, L & Sewell Pederson, C. (2017). The Expanded Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Manual: DBT for Self-Help and Individual & Group Training Sessions, 2nd Edition.