The aim was to investigate patients and therapists perception of receiving and 
giving dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Ten deliberate self-harm patients 
with borderline personality disorder and four DBT-therapists were interviewed. 
The interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The patients 
unanimously regard the DBT-therapy as life saving and something that has given 
them a bearable life situation. The patients and the therapists are concordant 
on the effective components of the therapy: the understanding, respect, and 
confirmation in combination with the cognitive and behavioral skills. The 
experienced effectiveness of DBT is contrasted by the patient's pronouncedly 
negative experiences from psychiatric care before entering DBT.