I too am extremely empathic and driven by guilt and an unhealthy desire to please people - and DBT worked wonders for me. I actually found the Interpersonal Skills really helpful in learning how to stand up for myself and make my own needs known in relationships. I found that with them I was able to form friendships that were less one-sided (me giving all the time and them taking)

The Distress Tolerance skills were great for when I was in crisis, and the Emotional Regulation and Mindfulness for every day intrapersonal stuff, but I really found the interpersonal skills were the ones I applied most in my daily contact with people.

The thing about DBT is that it is all about practice, so keep working on the skills. We had to do the modules all the way through two times, and the first time around, I thought it was all crap. It was only about halfway through the second time that I realized how effective and useful the skills were. So, stick with it, use the skills as much as you can, and you will see a difference.

Best of luck, and keep us posted on how you are doing!

Ness