Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The Columbia Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Program provides comprehensive DBT treatment for adults and adolescents who struggle with emotion dysregulation and destructive behaviors. DBT is an evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. DBT has been shown to improve issues related to emotional reactivity and sensitivity that leads to various problematic behavior patterns and interpersonal difficulties.

Our Program

The Columbia Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Program consists a group of DBT clinicians who aspire to provide high fidelity and efficacious DBT treatment. Treatment is targeted and goal setting is collaborative.  It is focused on keeping patients alive and building a life worth living for each individual. To learn more about Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, please see our DBT treatment page.  At Columbia, we offer a comprehensive DBT program within a variety of treatment settings.

• Outpatient Adult DBT Treatment
  • DBT skills training groups – Details in our Group therapy page.
  • DBT individual treatment
  • DBT phone coaching
• Accelerated DBT Program (ADBT)
  • A four-month four day a week intensive program for patient who wish to acquire skills quickly.  
• Outpatient Adolescent DBT Program
  • DBT Multi-Family Skills Groups
  • DBT individual treatment
  • DBT phone coaching

The DBT Program also works with the Columbia Day Program and Lieber Recovery Clinic.

The Columbia Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Outpatient Program consists of twice a week, individual and group treatment.  Additional individual treatment providers are not permitted while in DBT.  Patients in DBT must be willing to work to stay alive and are asked to make a 6-month commitment to the program; this duration of time is generally needed to see change. Progress in the program will be regularly and collaboratively evaluated by the treatment team and the patient.  Continued treatment in the DBT program will be contingent on skill use and change.

Our Patients

We work with adolescents and adults who are suffering from significant emotion dysregulation that manifests in behaviors ranging from intense emotional outbursts and self-injury to withdrawing from the world and the inability to move toward life goals. 

Our program is designed to treat adults who experience many of the following difficulties:

• Anxiety
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Chronic suicidal and self-harming behavior 
• Depression
• Disordered eating
• Emotion dysregulation
• Heightened emotional intensity and reactivity
• Intense anger
• Interpersonal difficulties
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Risky and impulsive behaviors

Our Team

Our providers are expert DBT clinicians; several are DBT-Linehan Board of Certification clinicians.  Our clinical team has trained in top institutions with renowned DBT practitioners.

Our team meet weekly in a DBT consultation team, ensuring adherent and compassionate care.  Team members are able to provide validation of suffering while simultaneously helping those in need to make real progress towards their life worth living goals.

Insurance Accepted

• AETNA
• NYU Consolidated
• NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Employee Plan
• Columbia University Employee Plan