If you’ve been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or another psychiatric disorder, you’ve probably heard about Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT has proven successful when it comes to treating the symptoms of BPD and disorders such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

When researching DBT treatment centers, it’s important to keep in mind that there are two methods of DBT therapy that are available to you: DBT-adherent therapy and DBT-informed therapy. The type of DBT therapy you’ll need will depend on your specific symptoms and diagnosis, so it’s a good idea to be familiar with the two options.

DBT-Adherent Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is made up of four components:
•Individual DBT therapy
•DBT skills groups
•Phone coaching with a DBT therapist
•A DBT consultation team for DBT therapists and skills trainers that meets regularly

A treatment program that is DBT-adherent will have all four of these components in place. You may be enrolled in a DBT-adherent program even if you are participating in other groups, such as relapse-prevention, 12-step, and anger management.

DBT-Informed Therapy

A treatment program that leaves out at least one of the components listed above is a DBT-informed program. For example, a DBT-informed treatment program may only offer DBT skills groups, but none of the other modes of treatment.

Which DBT Therapy Should I Choose?

Whether you end up in a DBT-adherent or DBT-informed treatment program depends on several factors:
•The severity of your disorder. If you have more severe symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder or are behaviorally dysregulated due to emotional dysregulation, a DBT-adherent program would be more effective.
•If you have not been able to stabilize your symptoms using other therapies or treatments, a DBT-adherent program may work best for you.
•If you are seeking treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, a DBT-adherent program may be more effective. However, if you are seeking treatment for another psychiatric disorder, such as depression or anxiety, a DBT-informed program may be appropriate.
•If you would like to retain your personal therapist and enter a DBT-adherent program, you may be referred to a DBT-informed program. Because DBT treatment is a very specific form of treatment and interventions, it can be confusing and less effective to concurrently be in another form of therapy.

Ultimately, a DBT treatment center will help you to determine whether DBT-adherent or DBT-informed treatment will work best for you.