What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an innovative approach to therapy that is designed to help people manage intense emotions, while reducing impulsive or self-destructive behaviors. DBT combines Eastern mindfulness techniques with Western cognitive-behavioral therapy to develop moment-to-moment awareness of destructive patterns and tangible tools for changing. As an evidence-based treatment, DBT has been shown to be effective in improving emotion management, decreasing self-destructive behavior, reducing family conflict, and improving the quality of relationships. The over-arching goal of DBT is to help the client build a life worth living.

Clearwater Clinic offers DBT treatment for adults, as well as for teens and their families. DBT may be appropriate if you (or your teen):

• engage in self-destructive thoughts or actions (suicide attempts, cutting, drug use, running away, etc.)
• find it challenging to manage strong emotions
• have difficulties in relationships with family, authority figures and/or intimate partners
• experience frequent rapid mood changes
• tend to act impulsively, despite negative consequences
• have symptoms or traits associated with borderline personality disorder

Our modal client has Borderline Personality Disorder, but we will not turn away anyone looking for help with emotion regulation unless they are medically unstable anorexic patients, are requesting treatment for a primary substance abuse disorder, or have a significant developmental delay. Anyone who feels that this treatment could help them should certainly call for more information.

DBT is an empirically validated treatment approach if implemented as designed. It takes approximately six months to acquire the new skills taught and another six months to practice the skills enough that they become automatic. Clients are required to make a minimum six month commitment to treatment, and a year is preferred. Families of adolescents are expected to participate in therapy, with parent counseling and/or family therapy almost always recommended.

You can learn more about DBT treatment and research studies at www.behavioraltech.org, and you can also download a summary of the information on this page by clicking this file: DBT Information Summary Sheet.

What Specific Services are Offered?

Clearwater offers a comprehensive DBT program. Specific services offered are:

• Individual DBT therapy with 24 hour, 7 day a week telephone coaching for clients ages 13 and up (once or twice per week, depending on acuity). Appointment times are arranged directly with your individual therapist. Clearwater is open six days a week from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.
• Weekly DBT skills groups for adolescents and their families, and for individual adults. These groups run continuously, with entry dates every 5 to 8 weeks. All groups are 2 hours long with a 10 minute break. Most groups occur between 6:00 and 8:30 in the evening, but some morning groups, particularly for young adults, are also offered. Participants in skills groups do not receive phone coaching unless they are in individual therapy with a DBT therapist.
• DBT informed parent and family with therapy, with 24 hour, 7 day a week phone coaching for parents. Sessions are arranged directly with your therapist during Clearwater business hours (8 am to 9 pm six days a week).

The following skills are taught during the classes:

• Core Mindfulness - being present and non-judgmentally aware in the moment
• Distress Tolerance - managing difficult feelings without acting impulsively
• Emotion Regulation - learning to skillfully use or change emotions
• Interpersonal Effectiveness - relating skillfully with others
• (in multi-family teen groups) Walking the Middle Path - reducing family conflict

What does it cost?

The full fee for individual DBT with a licensed clinician is $160 per session. For DBT skills groups, the full fee is $60 per person per group. Fees for working with unlicensed clinicians are $100 to $130 per session depending on the clinician's experience level. We do not presently bill insurance companies directly, but many of our clients submit our monthly invoices to get partially reimbursed by their insurance companies. We do take VISA and Mastercard, but do not accept Medi-Cal or Medicare.

How Do I make an Appointment?

You can press the Contact button above and email us, or call Demi Rhine, PsyD at 510-596-8137, the 3# extension. She will answer basic questions about our services and set fees, and will typically respond within 48 business hours of your call. Intake appointments are then scheduled with one of four DBT trained therapists, who explore in detail whether our DBT program is an appropriate treatment approach for each client requesting services.

345 38th Street, Oakland, CA 94609
510.596.8137
510.596.8955 (Fax)