A new DBT Diary Card Application for the iPhone
A new DBT diary card app for the iPhone. I personally don’t have an iPhone, so I haven’t tested it, but the images look group. Here is the text of the About page (most of it) from the www.diarycard.net page:
This app was developed by Dr. Sammy Banawan in Durham, NC. Dr. Banawan maintains a full-time private practice in Durham where he also did his internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Duke University Medical Center. During his post-doctoral fellowship, he worked directly with Dr. Marsha Linehan and her colleagues in continuing to adapt DBT for a variety of psychological conditions.
While this app was developed by a mental health professional, it is not intended to replace a therapist. You will get the most from the app with the aid of a DBT-trained psychotherapist. Remember that if you are actively suicidal or engaging in self-injurious behaviors, you need to be working with a therapist.
This application was created in an effort to bring psychotherapy practices up to 21st century standards. As more and more people carry around mini-computers in the form of smartphones, having to use sheets of paper to record something like behaviors or emotions seems a little ridiculous. It was also designed with the utmost in customizability in mind since no two people are working on the same sets of issues or with the same sets of treatment targets.
Over years of experience treating patients using Dialectical Behavior Therapy, we started to get a sense of what most people need to track and what types of coaching is useful and that’s where the app starts. As you use it and add more of your own information into it, the app will start to be even more helpful to you.
5 Comments
Sammy
I’m the developer of the app and I’d like to add a few things to the post here. First, I’m very appreciative of it. There’s no way for me to get the word out about this app without the help of bloggers who are doing the hard work on helping people through the web. I’m a psychologist and my only goal with this app is to help as many people as possible and I’m pretty sure that this app is one way to do that.
As far as the app goes. The app has several layers to it.
The first and most obvious, is the way you can use it to track your skills and emotions/behaviors. It’s got a simple, straight-forward interface for doing that. You can send your completed diary card to your therapist (or whoever else you want to have it).
It’s a reference book for DBT skills and emotions. Within each and every pre-installed skills and target, you’ll find a description for easy reference. It’s literally one tap away from being discovered. I didn’t want to clutter up the app with things you might already know because that would get in the way of using it for tracking. At the same time, I didn’t want to leave you guessing about what the skills or targets mean.
It’s a coaching app. A coaching module can help you figure out what you want/need to do in particular situations. It can be invaluable in those times you’re not sure how to handle something.
It is completely customizable. Add skills and targets that make sense for you. Give every skill your own personal description. It’s built for that.
I hope that people find the app useful and spread the word. It was a project borne out of years of experience with DBT and utilizes the iPhone very well. And it’s nice to look at, too. Please send me your feedback at feedback(at)diarycard.net .
Bon Dobbs
Sammy,
Thanks for the information. I wish I had an iPhone. I’d buy the app. Maybe I’ll have to get one.
Bon
Ladonna
Will this app work with other smart phones or on a macbook? Thanks, Ladonna
Bon Dobbs
I’m pretty sure it only works on an iPhone or iOs device, like an iPod touch or an iPad. You can go to http://www.diarycard.net and get more information.
Sammy
Hi Ladonna,
Yes, it only works on iPhones/iPads/iPod touches. It won’t run on anything else right now.