How to Find a DBT Therapist

What Is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a therapeutic technique that involves teaching coping skills to manage challenging symptoms and feelings to help people empower themselves to tolerate emotional distress. DBT skills often involve teaching problem-solving skills, recognizing maladaptive and coping behaviors, and incorporating more effective skills.

DBT may consist of the following:

• Pre-assessment: Done at the beginning of therapy, usually the first session or two; pre-assessment involves explaining the process and discussing your presenting symptoms to see if DBT is right for you.
• Individual therapy: Individual therapy sessions are usually held weekly for about 40-60 minutes, where the therapist will assist you with identifying symptoms and learning skills to manage them. Safety planning and preparation are often a big part of these sessions.
• Skills training: Skills training groups teach coping skills to help manage stressful situations and emotions. These groups are not group therapy but are instead used for learning skills such as emotional regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance.

Is DBT Right For Me?

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a specific modality often used for people experiencing or prone to experiencing emotional distress. DBT isn’t right for everyone or every situation.

Common conditions where DBT is a good therapy option include:

• Anxiety: DBT is used for anxiety, especially if the symptoms of anxiety stem from an underlying traumatic experience or if the symptoms manifest in ways that contribute to emotional distress and deregulation.
• Depression: DBT for depression is used when the symptoms present as a desire to self-harm, thoughts of suicide, or when the symptoms leave the person unable to cope.
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD): DBT is often used for BPD. Because some of the core elements of BPD include mood instability and struggles with emotional regulation, DBT is often used for people with BPD to teach them skills to manage these experiences.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Because many of the symptoms of PTSD can leave clients feeling helpless and unable to regulate their emotions, DBT is often a good option for them.
• Substance use disorders: DBT is effective in treating substance use disorders due to the skills training that helps people develop distress tolerance.¹
  
• Anger Management: The emotional regulation that comes from learning how to manage distressing feelings in DBT therapy can help people who struggle with anger management.
• Eating Disorders: DBT for eating disorders is backed by research as being very effective in treating clients who struggle with all different types of eating disorders.²

What to Look For in a DBT Therapist

It is important to find a therapist with a good personality fit that you’re comfortable with and who has training and experience in DBT. Look for someone empathetic, receptive to feedback, and sensitive to the experiences and opinions of the clients in treatment. These things can often cause clients to drop out of therapy if ignored.³

Therapy can be challenging to attain for many people due to the cost. Therefore, consider your insurance and payment info before starting to ensure it’s affordable for you.

Below are things to consider when choosing a dialectical behavioral therapist:

Online or In-Person DBT Therapy?

In the days of virtual options, it will be common to choose between an online DBT therapist, an in-person therapist, or even a hybrid option. How you want to see your therapist is a personal decision, each with pros and cons.

Some people might like the convenience of choosing from online therapy options, especially if they have long work hours or live in an inconvenient location. Virtual therapy offers clients many more options, as you can work with any therapist licensed in your state, not just the ones located within driving distance. However, some people prefer the intimacy of meeting in person, which is beneficial. The key is to find what works best for you and what you are most comfortable with.

Your Preferences & Requirements

It is important to consider your personal preferences and any requirements you may have to ensure you select a DBT therapist you are comfortable with.

Some preferences you may want to consider include:

• Gender: The gender of the therapist might play a role in how comfortable you feel beginning therapy.
• Religion: This is important for someone who wants a therapist who understands their faith. Likewise, someone with religious trauma might feel uncomfortable with a therapist of a specific religion.
• Age: Some people might feel more comfortable with a therapist older than them, for example, due to the assumption of maturity and wisdom.
• Ethnicity: It is common for people to want a therapist who can understand their experiences, and therefore the ethnicity of the therapist might be important to them.
• Sexuality: Many LGBTQ individuals want someone who understands their sexuality or at least is an ally and decide to find and choose an LGBTQIA+ therapist.

Certified DBT Therapist Licensing & Credentials

When looking for a DBT therapist, look for someone who specializes in doing DBT rather than someone who has it listed along with many other focus areas. Many therapists will explicitly state this on their website or business card, which lets you know that this is an area of expertise.

Most therapists will have their credentials and often their licensing information on their marketing and informational materials. You can use this information to verify if a provider is licensed and in good standing. Therapists will have many licenses and backgrounds, including LPC, LCSW, etc. Most licensed therapists have the same or similar educational background and philosophy. The differences between the licenses, such as LPC or LPCC, are often minor.⁴

Some types of certified DBT therapists include:

• Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC): In many states, LPC is the title used for counselors/therapists who engage in private practice counseling.
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC): In some states, LCPC is the license title for counselors/therapists in private practice.
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): Social workers’ licenses are less broad but still have some variations. LCSW is the most common and refers to someone with a clinical social work license.
• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW): In some states, social workers who are licensed to practice clinically and independently use this credential.
• Licensed Master Social Worker: In some states, the LMSW credential is the highest for practicing independently in a mental health and diagnostic setting.
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor: Some states refer to licensed counselors as Licensed Mental Health Counselors as the title.
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist: In some states, the LMFT is the credential used for fully licensed and practicing counselors.

Personality Fit & Comfort

Finding a therapist you’re comfortable with is critical, as this is the most important factor in healing. “A good relationship, the research finds, is essential to helping the client connect with, remain in and get the most from therapy.”⁵ You can get a good feel of how the therapist works and their personality if they have a website. However, many people want to phone the therapist first to see if they are a good fit.

Some questions to ask a potential new DBT therapist include:

• Do you have experience working with people who have concerns like mine?
• What’s your approach to therapy?
• How long do your sessions last?
• Will my insurance pay for sessions?
• How much should I expect to pay out of pocket?
• How many sessions will we have before I start to feel better?
• Do you give homework between sessions?
• How often are sessions held?
• How many individual sessions should I plan to have before starting the group process?
• How often do you give feedback?

How to Find a DBT Therapist

When looking for a DBT therapist, it is essential to consider as many avenues as you can. Ask around for names of therapists specializing in DBT, and then look online for their website and anything you can find about their modalities and credentials.

Here are five ways to find a DBT therapist:

1. Ask Your Primary Care Provider for a Referral

Because medical providers are often the first professionals people talk to about their mental health concerns, primary care providers often end up being the first line of treatment and support for people struggling with mental health.⁵ Therefore, asking your primary care provider for a therapist referral is common.

Unfortunately, many medical professionals might not understand the difference between a therapist specializing in DBT and a therapist who does not, so you might end up with a referral for someone who does not necessarily practice DBT. However, this can help point you in the right direction.

2. Ask Friends & Family for Referrals

Asking friends and family is often a great resource. Because therapy is becoming much less stigmatized than in previous generations, many people are more open about their mental health experiences. Also, asking friends and family has the benefit of giving you the names of someone already vetted by someone you care about!

Although not all therapists will be a perfect fit for everyone, so be sure to research the person before beginning treatment.

3. Request a List of DBT Therapists From Your Insurance Company

It is possible to contact your insurance company for a list of providers that accept your insurance, which can help you get started. With this list, you can look for therapists specializing in DBT with the knowledge they will also accept your insurance to help manage your costs.

4. Use an Online Therapist Directory

Finding a therapist online is easier than ever using an online therapist directory to find local therapists. Directories can be a good way to find a DBT therapist because you can search for therapists based on their background or specific focus. Today, there are many online therapy options that accept insurance.

5. Use Google

Finding a local therapist can be easy if you do a Google search for your zip code, the word therapist, and then the word “DBT.” This can help you look for clinics or private practitioners focusing on DBT therapy in your area.

It might involve some leg work, such as calling or clicking around on different profiles, but it could help you find someone who is a good fit.

In My Experience

The relationship between the therapist and the client is the most reliable determinant of progress. Many therapists will take pride in offering specific modalities and boast specific training, all of which can be helpful. But all of these should be separate from a therapist and client bond and rapport.