RO-DBT Therapy
in Sydney and the Sutherland Shire

At Evolving Minds Counselling and Psychology, Vanessa Allen, Certified RO-DBT Practitioner, provides Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) for adolescents and adults across Sydney and the Sutherland Shire. Appointments are available in person at our Menai practice in the Sutherland Shire and online across Australia.

RO-DBT is an evidence-based therapy developed by Dr Thomas Lynch for difficulties associated with emotional overcontrol. Overcontrol is a coping style that includes perfectionism, emotional restraint, high self-criticism and difficulty forming close or trusting relationships.

People who are emotionally overcontrolled may appear calm, high-achieving or self-sufficient, although often feel emotionally disconnected, misunderstood or unable to express their needs. This pattern can interfere with relationships, make it difficult to experience joy or spontaneity and may contribute to long-standing psychological distress.

What is RO-DBT?

RO-DBT was developed for people who tend to manage difficult emotions through high levels of self-control. This might involve holding emotions in, striving to get things right, finding it difficult to be flexible or having trouble letting others know what you need. While standard DBT is often used when emotions and behaviours feel difficult to control, RO-DBT focuses on patterns of emotional overcontrol.

The therapy targets three core areas: openness, flexibility and social connectedness. Rather than focusing on reducing or managing strong emotions, RO-DBT supports people to express what they feel, take small steps toward emotional risk-taking, and build richer, more authentic relationships.

RO-DBT can be adapted to the person and what they are hoping to work on. Some people may benefit from the full RO-DBT approach, while for others, elements of RO-DBT can be incorporated into their broader therapy.

What does RO-DBT help with?

RO-DBT can be helpful for people experiencing:

emotional overcontrol, including perfectionism and emotional restraint
chronic or treatment-resistant depression
treatment-resistant anxiety
anorexia nervosa and restrictive presentations
obsessive-compulsive personality patterns
difficulty experiencing joy, spontaneity or closeness in relationships
feeling disconnected, misunderstood or unable to express needs

For some neurodivergent people, patterns of overcontrol may include a strong preference for predictability, emotional inhibition or difficulty with social connection. Where these patterns are causing difficulties, RO-DBT may be a useful approach. This can include autistic people, people with ADHD and other neurodivergent people.

RO-DBT may be offered as a standalone treatment or integrated with other approaches such as Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or eating disorder therapy approaches, depending on each person's clinical presentation.