How do I get started?

When you contact us about one of our DBT programs, we’ll schedule a “Meet & Greet” appointment with you to answer your questions about DBT treatment and discuss whether it’s right for you. This “Pre-Treatment Interview” consultation is completely confidential, and neither you nor our center is under any obligation for services until we agree that DBT is right for you. You are welcome to bring family or others supportive of you.

Once you have decided to begin DBT treatment, you will be assigned to your Primary DBT Therapist. You and your DBT therapist will work together in 3-4 “pre-treatment” assessment sessions. You will decide and commit to Life Worth Living goals you want to work towards in treatment, as well as specific actions or behaviors to focus on as treatment begins (these are called your treatment targets). In Dialectical Behavior Therapy, the focus of treatment is triage-based, meaning you and your team will work to resolve the highest priority problems first. You become an active partner in treatment with your DBT therapist and treatment team immediately.

While in pre-treatment, you will also begin attending our DBT Intro to DBT skills classes. These classes will introduce you to the format of DBT skills group and familiarize you with DBT basics. Once you have determined and committed to your treatment targets, you will be enrolled in one of our ongoing DBT skills groups at the next available enrollment date (these are rolling and ongoing, generally available every 4-6 weeks). This marks the end of pre-treatment and the beginning of your DBT treatment journey. Minimum length of treatment following pre-treatment for a comprehensive program is six months. Many participants are involved for a year or longer based on their personal treatment needs.