The consultation team is the one part of Comprehensive DBT you will never attend. It is a weekly meeting of the DBT therapists who provide individual therapy and run the skills training group, and its job is to support those therapists so they keep delivering DBT the way it was tested [1][2].
Our consultation team meets every week.
What the DBT consultation team does
Behavioral Tech describes the team’s role as helping therapists stay faithful to the treatment, keep building their skills, and stay motivated [1]. The team is where therapists bring their hardest cases, check that their work still follows the DBT model, and get help when they are stuck. Linehan and Sayrs set out how a team runs, from its meeting format to handling a suicide crisis, in DBT Teams: Development and Practice [3].
Treating people at high risk of suicide is demanding work. The weekly team helps therapists stay motivated and committed to it [2].
Why the consultation team matters to you
You benefit from the team even though you never meet it. Your therapist is not working alone and can bring questions about your treatment to colleagues trained in the same model.
The research on teams is still young and mostly observational. A survey of 65 DBT therapists found lower burnout among those whose consultation teams worked well [4]. In an 18-month study of 22 staff starting DBT, they described the teamwork and supervision as supportive, although their formal burnout scores did not change [5].
The team is a requirement, not an extra
The DBT-Linehan Board of Certification says adherent DBT includes individual therapy, group skills classes, phone coaching and a weekly consultation team, and that a program missing any of these is not comprehensive DBT [6]. Its certification process for individual clinicians also requires a written endorsement from the applicant’s consultation team leader [7]. We explain why this matters in why adherence and fidelity matter in Comprehensive DBT treatment, and you can meet our clinicians.
Find out if DBT is right for you
The way to know which level of care fits is to talk it through with us. Call (817) 214-7200 or send us a message, and we will arrange a full intake and assessment with one of our clinicians.
Frequently asked questions
Does every DBT therapist have a consultation team?
No. Some clinicians use DBT skills or worksheets without the full model. If you are choosing a DBT therapist, it is fair to ask whether they are on a weekly DBT consultation team.
Will I ever meet the team?
No. The team is for your therapists. Your care happens in individual therapy, the skills group and phone coaching.
Related reading
- What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)? and the research behind it
- Why adherence and fidelity matter in Comprehensive DBT treatment
- Comprehensive DBT for suicidal ideation
- Meet our clinicians
- Our fees, including group therapy and intake fees
- All therapy services and areas we serve
The four parts of Comprehensive DBT
Not sure which level of care fits? Read about DBT-informed treatment or go back to What is DBT?
Take the next step
Call (817) 214-7200, email info@ntxdbt.com, or use our contact form to request an intake. Our team will answer your questions and help you decide on the right next step.
In crisis? Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, free and confidential at any hour. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Sources
- Behavioral Tech Institute. What is DBT? https://behavioraltech.org/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt/
- May, J. M., Richardi, T. M., and Barth, K. S. (2016). Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder. Mental Health Clinician, 6(2), 62-67. https://doi.org/10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62
- Sayrs, J. H. R., and Linehan, M. M. (2019). DBT Teams: Development and Practice. Guilford Press. https://guilford.com/books/DBT-Teams/Sayrs-Linehan/9781462539819
- Ruork, A. K., Yin, Q., and Fruzzetti, A. E. (2022). Phone consultation and burnout among providers of dialectical behaviour therapy. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 29(2), 744-753. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2668
- Perseius, K. I., et al. (2007). Stress and burnout in psychiatric professionals when starting to use dialectical behavioural therapy in the work with young self-harming women showing borderline personality symptoms. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 14(7), 635-643. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2007.01146.x
- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification. Misconceptions and DBT treatment: what’s being left out? https://dbt-lbc.org/2021/02/16/misconceptions-and-dbt-treatment-whats-being-left-out/
- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification. What’s the difference? https://dbt-lbc.org/2025/02/12/whats-the-difference/