r/askatherapist•
vdyaki

is there such thing as a dbt therapist?

NAT. i was recently diagnosed with borderline personality disorder by my current therapist who has her own practice and I've only been seeing for a few months. i am very interested in doing dbt because i heard its very helpful for those with bpd.

my therapist explained that dbt is a program that is typically a year long that involves group therapy and a "coach" that can help during the week while not in therapy. unfortunately, the only program offered in my city doesn't take my insurance and would be too expensive for me.

i saw that there was another therapist that she employs that says he uses dbt and also specializes in patients with personality disorders. my therapist isn't dbt certified nor does she say she specializes in personality disorders, but she's still a therapist who has a doctorate so it's not like she isn't qualified. but, i reached out to this therapist and talked about possibly seeing him for treatment because i want to try dbt. my therapist is not happy about this. she says he is probably just as qualified as her in dbt. but the thing is my therapist doesn't use dbt at all we're just going off a workbook on bpd for treatment.

is it possible this other therapist can actually be trained in dbt and utilize it in a way that would be beneficial? can a therapist use dbt without being involved with a program? would it be more helpful to see a therapist who is at least trained in dbt than one who isn't?

any help is appreciated!!

Posted May 12, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC

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