Frequently Asked Questions
Is DBT therapy just a group?
May I join your DBT skills group and keep my non-DBT therapist?
Do you take insurance?
What are your policies regarding medications?
Do you prescribe medications?
No. Standard DBT includes weekly DBT individual therapy, weekly skills training group, and telephone skills coaching. DBT was designed to be a comprehensive treatment to address the needs of clients with severe and complex emotion dysregulation problems, including self-injury and suicidality.
May I join your DBT skills group and keep my non-DBT therapist?
We do not offer skills training groups to individuals who do not receive weekly individual therapy. Some individuals who receive regular non-DBT individual therapy want to add DBT skills training. We sometimes provide skills groups to adult clients and allow them to keep their current non-DBT therapist, but it depends on their current severity and complexity. We do not allow this arrangement for clients under 18.
We are currently not on any insurance panels, and therefore do not usually bill health insurance companies. We generally require payment in advance or at time of service, and we can provide you a payment summary statement for you to submit to your insurance company. Many insurance companies will partially reimburse you for your DBT sessions. Check with your insurance company to verify how much they will reimburse you for your sessions at DBTCSD.
Occasionally, we are able to set up single-case agreements with the insurance company to pay the full cost of your sessions when we can make a convincing case for the medical necessity of DBT for the member and the lack of alternative accredited DBT programs in San Diego. Click here for more information.
What are your policies regarding medications?
Some patients prefer not to be on medications at all whereas others want to make sure that their medications will not change while they receive therapy at DBTCSD. The use of medications is a personal decision, depending on your priorities and preferences regarding the advantages and disadvantages. We will work closely with your psychiatrist to make sure that the therapy and the medications work together effectively to meet your needs. Sometimes medications interfere with the psychotherapies we provide and when we see such possibilities we will speak to you and your psychiatrist, and you will always maintain the right to choose the treatments you prefer. We do not require our patients take medications, but we are happy to provide referrals to psychiatrists if you want to consider the possibility that medications may enhance the effects of therapy.
No. We cannot prescribe medications because we are psychologists and masters level therapists. Although we have no psychiatrists on staff, we can provide you a list of psychiatrists who have worked effectively with our patients. We work very closely with psychiatrists to make sure that the therapy and the medications work together effectively to meet your needs.