Research suggests that short term treatment is not particularly helpful for people with Borderline Personality Disorder as the difficulties are often entrenched and a longer period of therapy is required.
A full DBT treatment programme consists of a weekly 2-2.5 hour DBT skills group, seeing a DBT therapist weekly for an hour’s 1:1 session, phone coaching to reinforce skills and the DBT therapist attends a weekly consultation meeting with other DBT therapists. Treatment takes between 12-18 months in a full programme and involves a team of DBT therapists providing the treatment.
I am not providing a full DBT programme privately. I am providing the skills training on a 1:1 basis instead of a group alongside chain & solution analysis work that would be offered in a full programme. I attend a weekly consultation meeting with other DBT therapists and I can provide phone coaching with an individual if this is agreed at the start of treatment. Most individuals I see privately need around eight to nine months of weekly sessions to complete treatment.