How to Know If Your DBT Therapist Provides Comprehensive Services
You and your family are at a point where you know it’s time to have some counseling. Regardless of what is prompting this decision, you want to have a therapist whom you trust and who provides all the services you might need. That means they offer what’s known as comprehensive services. That’s different from DBT-informed services. Knowing the difference helps to limit any doubts you may have. It gives you and your family confidence you’re making the right choice for you.
This blog reviews how you can tell who provides comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This information is also for you if you already have a DBT counselor and want to be sure they offer all the services included in comprehensive care.
What to Look For n a DBT Therapist’s Website
Comprehensive DBT Services Include Specific Types of Treatment
You and your parents want to assure that you and they have a full scope of services for your care. A therapist offering comprehensive DBT services provides:
Individual therapy to encourage your self-worth
Coaching by phone or audio or video meeting
Group sessions for building resolution and responsiveness skills
Team meetings with consultants to guide your therapist’s development
Work with your family to support their learning about ways to be there for you
You can expect to meet with your therapist in these different ways for 6-12 months. It is worth the time and financial commitment! You are learning and practicing new skills that will benefit you now, and for years to come.
Comprehensive DBT Therapy Has Specific Stages
One reason that participating in DBT for several months is so important is due to the stages you’ll complete. These assure that you’re getting all of the information and practice needed to bring about personal development and security. The stages are:
Stage One: Achieving behavioral control as you move from feeling out of control
Stage Two: Gradually being able to more fully experience your emotions
Stage Three: Being able to manage life challenges by taking them one step at a time
Stage Four: Gaining the feeling of being complete and more self-reliant, along with knowing when to reach out for help
How Are DBT-Informed Services Different Than Comprehensive DBT?
When you read that a therapist offers DBT-Informed service, you know that they do not offer all of the services listed above. This may be because of a teen’s needs and commitment to the process of learning and changing. You’re likely to find some therapy practices that offer DBT-informed services as well as comprehensive DBT. This is beneficial because it lets a teen and family make choices within a single practice setting.
The Website Gives You Helpful Information
So, how will you know which therapists provide Comprehensive DBT services? The site will describe all of the types of care provided. It’s likely to summarize the mental health challenges experienced by the teens and young adults they serve.
A good DBT Therapist gives you information about who they are. Because DBT works for teens with conflicting emotions and behaviors that can be strong and potentially harmful, it’s important to seek out a skilled, comprehensive DBT therapist.
Helpful info includes:
Statements about why they do what they do. In other words, they state their reasons for counseling teens and young adults.
Their education or certifications as a DBT Therapist, plus other skills they’ve developed to serve you and others.
They typically have a Master’s degree with practice experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
They are certified and licensed to provide DBT services in the state(s) where they serve clients. These requirements can vary from state to state.
They may have certifications in additional forms of care. Examples include yoga and mindfulness.
A Comprehensive DBT Therapist Cares…
You want someone who knows about teens and cares for you, other adolescents, and young adults. That means that they get it about the internal and external pressures you live with all the time. They value peoples’ differences and know how challenging those can be. You’re sure you have a comprehensive DBT therapist when they describe the service options you and your family can expect, including:
One-on-one sessions that are in-person and/or online. The options depend on your mental health needs, preferences, and schedule.
Group therapy sessions where you meet with other teens. Meeting like this has been found to be helpful for practicing coping skills.
The therapist is also likely to list their specialty areas, such as group therapy, emotional regulation, or working through conflicts between teens and their parents, among others.
