Virtual DBT Group

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that can be helpful for many people. Although it was initially developed for individuals with severe emotional difficulties, I believe most people can benefit from learning these skills. Issues that can be targeted with DBT include: difficulty managing emotions, substance use, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, trauma, etc. This virtual DBT skills group can be a supportive addition to your individual therapy.

Please note that this is not a full DBT Program. This is a group focused on learning DBT skills that can supplement individual therapy.

Experience

  • 2015: interned with UF Psychiatry DBT Group

  • 2016-2018: completed clinical hours working in the UF Clinical and Health Psychology Clinic’s DBT Program, leading individual and group sessions for adults and adolescents

  • Currently part of a DBT Consultation Team with other DBT providers in Gainesville, FL

  • Some DBT Courses I’ve Taken:

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy, an Overview: Treating Clients Who Experience Emotional and Behavioral Dysregulation

    • DBT to Help LGBT Clients Deal with Microaggressions

    • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Suicide, and the Climate Crisis

Approach

I was encouraged to work with DBT while in school due to my passion for mindfulness and Buddhist psychology. Buddhist psychology and wisdom is embedded throughout the materials, and I believe that it is important to both acknowledge and integrate this source material. Much of modern western psychology has been taken from indigenous peoples and people of color without acknowledgement. Working with me, there will be more explicit discussion of the Buddhist and mindfulness framework and principles within DBT. This is part of the broader decolonizing approach that I take.

This approach includes both acknowledging the current and historical context that we are operating in and the difficulties that are inherent in these systems while also reclaiming practices and relationships that have been lost. Part of this work may include reclaiming your ancestral and cultural traditions that will have both similar benefits of the standard DBT skills while having an even more impactful benefit on your life through building your connection to your identity, culture and community.

My approach is flexible, nonjudgmental, and invitational. I incorporate a scientific understanding of what is occurring in our brains and bodies when we have intense emotions or act on urges through discussion of neuroscience and neurobiology. I am actively growing in my understanding of neurodivergence and will explore accommodations and adaptations for the skills so that they may be more accessible.

Modules

DBT has four Modules or Sections.

  • Mindfulness

    • Increasing overall self-awareness, self-compassion and connection to yourself

    • Building the capacity to stay with what is happening in the present moment

  • Emotion Regulation

    • Learn about emotions

    • Tools to manage how you’re feeling

  • Interpersonal Effectiveness

    • Communication skills

  • Distress Tolerance

    • Skills for crisis moments

    • Skills to help accept the things we can’t change

Who Can Attend?

Group is open to adults who live in Florida, Colorado and South Carolina.

What is the Time Commitment?

Group is held weekly on Tuesdays 5:30pm-7pm (EST). We will complete one round in 16 weeks. Many people opt to continue as it can take time to really learn to integrate the skills into your life. Often people are in group for a year. You can opt to leave group at anytime but it is recommended that you commit to at least one cycle.

Am I required to be under the care of an individual therapist while in the group?

Yes, you are required to be under the care of an individual therapist while in group. Individual therapy is important to offer more in depth ways to apply the skills to your life and individual concerns. Due to this being a class format, it is not a substitute for individual support.

What happens in the group?

Group is an hour and a half. Sessions will start with a group mindfulness activity. Then we will have space for group members to share how their practice with the skills went over the past week. There were be space for feedback, problem solving and clarification with any issues with practicing. Then we will cover a new skill for you to practice over the following week.

Unlike process groups, DBT group is more like a class where we focus on learning new skills. That is why is is important for you to have an individual therapist so you can process more in-depth in your individual sessions. Additionally, we will not go to in-depth into what behaviors you are working in sessions. We will broadly discuss them as a behavior or strategy you are struggling with. This avoids triggering other group members. Over time, we can see that although we may use different strategies they often function in a similar way.

Costs

Group cost will be $50 per session. Unless related to illness or emergency, you will be charged a fee for missing group. This is considered a seating fee. You are paying to keep your seat in group. You can opt to leave the group at any time if you wish to discontinue.

  • Insurance Coverage

I am currently an out of network provider. Insurance coverage for sessions will depend on whether you have out of network coverage. Utilizing insurance will also require a medical diagnosis and a determination of whether treatment is medically necessary according to insurance requirements. Please inform me if you would like to pursue this prior to beginning treatment, so I can provide you with the appropriate documentation. I will create a superbill that you can submit to insurance for possible reimbursement.

  • Sliding Scale

If you would like to attend but cannot afford the cost of group sessions, please inquire about sliding scale options.

How Do I get Started?

Complete the DBT Group Interest Form. From there, we can schedule an intake session. The intake session will be the same cost of group.