Individual therapy is one of the four parts of Comprehensive DBT. The other three are the weekly skills training group, phone coaching between sessions, and the therapists’ consultation team. At North Texas DBT Associates, every Comprehensive DBT client has a weekly individual session with one of our DBT-trained clinicians, by telehealth from anywhere in Texas.
If you have been wondering what DBT therapy looks like week to week, this is the part most people picture: you and your therapist, working on what matters most in your life right now.
What happens in individual DBT therapy
Behavioral Tech, the training institute Marsha Linehan founded, describes the individual therapist’s job in Comprehensive DBT as keeping you motivated, helping you apply the skills you learn in group to your own life, and helping you shape your surroundings so they support change [1].
The DBT diary card
Through the week you keep a DBT diary card that tracks how you used your skills, and you go over it with your individual therapist [2]. Because the card is filled in as the week happens, the session starts from what actually went on, not from what you remember on the day.
Behavioral chain analysis
When a problem behavior happens, your therapist will walk through it with you one link at a time: what set it off, what you thought and felt, what you did, and what followed. DBT calls this a behavioral chain analysis [3]. The aim is to find the links where a different skill could change the outcome next time.
A clear order of priorities
Individual DBT works through problems in a set order. Behavior that puts your life at risk comes first. Next is anything that gets in the way of therapy itself. Then come the problems that affect your quality of life, and building the skills to replace them [2].
Trauma treatment with DBT PE
Individual DBT therapy is also the home of our trauma work: this is where trauma treatment would take place for clients who are seeking trauma treatment or who are diagnosed with PTSD. Once you have the safety and stability to start, your therapist can add the DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) protocol to your weekly sessions, so PTSD is treated within DBT [6]. DBT PE is offered by telehealth to clients in our Comprehensive DBT program.
Why individual therapy is part of Comprehensive DBT
No single part of DBT does the whole job. In a 2015 trial led by Linehan, 99 women with borderline personality disorder and recent suicidal or self-harming behavior received standard DBT or a version with one part removed. Standard DBT, with individual therapy and skills training together, had lower dropout than individual therapy without the skills group (24% against 48%) and fewer crisis service visits at follow-up [4].
In Linehan’s earlier two-year trial, women in Comprehensive DBT were half as likely to make a suicide attempt as women treated by community experts, and had fewer hospital stays and emergency room visits [5]. We cover this research in more depth in Comprehensive DBT for suicidal ideation.
Skills learned in a group help only when you use them in your own life. Individual therapy is where your therapist helps you fit them to your situations, your relationships and your week [1].
Individual DBT therapy at North Texas DBT Associates
- Weekly individual sessions with a DBT-trained therapist
- By telehealth, for adults anywhere in Texas
- Part of our Comprehensive DBT program, alongside the skills training group, phone coaching and a weekly consultation team
If you work shifts, individual DBT sessions are also available late at night and early in the morning through our after-hours telehealth therapy.
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
How often is individual DBT therapy?
Once a week, alongside the weekly skills training group, for as long as you are in Comprehensive DBT.
Do I also need to join the skills group?
In Comprehensive DBT, yes. Individual therapy and the skills group are designed to work together. If your intake suggests a different level of care, we will talk that through with you. You can read about DBT-informed treatment here.
Can I do individual DBT therapy online?
Yes. Our individual sessions are held in person and via telehealth, so if you have been searching for DBT therapy near me, you can meet your therapist from home anywhere in Texas.
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
- Rizvi, S. L., and Ritschel, L. A. (2014). Mastering the art of chain analysis in dialectical behavior therapy. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 21(3), 335-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2013.09.002
- Linehan, M. M., et al. (2015). Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: a randomized clinical trial and component analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(5), 475-482. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039
- Linehan, M. M., et al. (2006). Two-year randomized controlled trial and follow-up of dialectical behavior therapy vs therapy by experts for suicidal behaviors and borderline personality disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63(7), 757-766. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.63.7.757
- Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., and Linehan, M. M. (2014). A pilot randomized controlled trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with and without the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol for suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 55, 7-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.01.008