If you’ve explored ways to understand your emotions, you’ve probably come across CBT and DBT. They’re two of the most widely used approaches in the world. So where does The BeMo Practice fit, and how is it different?
Here’s a clear, honest comparison to help you understand each one and choose what fits where you are right now.
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was developed in the 1960s. It’s built on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, and that changing one can shift the others. In CBT, a trained professional helps you notice distorted, automatic thoughts (“I always mess things up”) and replace them with more balanced ones.
Best known for: catching and reframing unhelpful thought patterns.
What is DBT?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emerged in the 1980s. It blends acceptance and change, teaching concrete skills like mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and communicating in relationships. It’s often taught in a mix of individual sessions and group skills classes.
Best known for: practical skills for riding big emotions without being swept away by them.
What is The BeMo Practice?
The BeMo Practice is a self-guided practice for understanding yourself, built on the FUNCK Method. It draws from what CBT and DBT do well (naming what you feel, catching the beliefs underneath, regulating big emotions) and weaves in mindfulness, self-compassion, attachment theory, and needs-based reflection.
Instead of stopping at what you’re thinking or feeling, it helps you discover what you truly need, and then gives you a simple, repeatable way to meet yourself there. You can practice it on the page, out loud, in meditation, or with the people you love.
Best known for: finding the real need underneath a feeling, and practicing a new way of responding until it becomes part of you.
Side-by-side comparison
| CBT | DBT | The BeMo Practice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Thoughts and beliefs | Emotional regulation skills | Feelings, beliefs, and the needs underneath them |
| Guided by | A trained professional | A trained professional and skills group | You, with a guide, journal, or community |
| Format | Sessions and worksheets | Sessions, group classes, skills practice | Writing, speaking, meditating, or sharing |
| When you use it | Scheduled sessions | Sessions plus daily skills | Anytime, on hard days and good days |
| Goal | Healthier thinking patterns | Steadier emotions and relationships | A secure, lasting relationship with yourself |
Do I have to choose just one?
Not at all. The BeMo Practice is not a replacement for working with a professional, and many people use it alongside counseling, coaching, or a DBT skills group. Some even bring their BeMo Journal into sessions. Where CBT and DBT often happen in an appointment, The BeMo Practice is what you can carry with you for the other 167 hours of the week.
Which one is right for me?
- If you’re navigating something that feels bigger than you can hold alone, start with a licensed professional. CBT or DBT may be exactly what you need.
- If you understand your patterns but still find yourself asking “yeah… but how?”, The BeMo Practice was made for that moment.
- If you want a daily way to stay connected to yourself between appointments, The BeMo Practice pairs beautifully with both.
Try The BeMo Practice
You can begin on your own with The BeMo Journal →, which includes The BeMo Practice Guide and the Feelings & Needs Wheel. Or, when you’re ready to learn alongside others, come join us inside The BeMo Community →
Learn more about The BeMo Practice →
