Behaviorism, with its emphasis on observable behaviors and environmental determinants, has profoundly shaped therapeutic models. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy, integrates behaviorist principles to address emotional dysregulation and promote self-soothing. Foundational behaviorist theory enhances DBT's effectiveness in building self-regulatory capacity and reducing high-risk, self-destructive behaviours across impulsivity, self-harm and suicidality.