DBT FAQs

How long does it take to complete DBT?

Initially, we ask for a 6-month commitment to participate in comprehensive DBT, which includes weekly skills group, weekly individual DBT counseling, and phone coaching as needed. The primary reason for this timeframe is that it takes 6 months to complete all of the skills taught in skills training group: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance, and Emotion Regulation. Often, clients will continue in treatment beyond the initial 6 months to reach their therapy goals. This will be discussed with your individual DBT therapist near the end of your initial 6 months of therapy.

What can I expect from the DBT skills group?

DBT skills groups are psycho-educational groups presented with Mindfulness practice, review of each group member’s practice of new skills, and interactive teaching each week. Mutli-modal teaching methods, such as video, audio, and in-session activities allow participants to fully engage in class material. Skills groups are 2 hours long with a brief break mid-way. Group members are not engaged in “process” work with one another, rather, group members share his or her individual progress in using skills learned each week. Group leaders help participants find ways to establish routines for integrating skills and troubleshoot difficulties establishing new behaviors.

What are the costs? Will insurance cover my treatment?

Please call (408) 207-5269 for current rates for individual and group sessions. If your insurance company provides coverage for “out-of-network” outpatient mental health services, a portion of your treatment may be reimbursed to you by the insurance company. Your DBT therapist will provide you with a statement that includes the necessary codes to file directly with your insurance company. Please contact your insurance carrier directly to learn about your plan’s reimbursement rates.

If I am recommended to attend Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), does that mean that I am diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?

Although DBT counseling has been the treatment of choice for BPD, there are many forms of emotional dysregulation and difficulties that are successfully treated by DBT. Primary areas of behavioral dysregulation that have been researched and shown to be successfully treated with DBT include: binge-eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, bipolar disorder, non-suicidal self-injury (adolescents and adults), suicidality, depression, and trichotillomania. Here you can find a summary of research findings from behaviortech.org.