Dialectical Behavior Therapy
in Sarasota, FL
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): A Powerful Skill-Building Program for Life's Challenges
Life is full of inevitable difficulties and most of us find ourselves without crucial coping skills at some point in our lives. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, is a therapeutic approach that teaches these essential skills. You can think of it like having a personal life-improvement plan which provides vital secrets on how to live your best life.
Whether you’re stuck in traffic, locked in a heated argument with a loved one, or dealing with significant trauma, you can access these life-hacks to help you tackle daily challenges so that you can remain calm and regulated.
DBT was founded by psychologist Marsha Linehan in the 1970s. It combines the basic tenets of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with the teachings of Zen Buddhism, creating a unique bridge between eastern and western thought. On one hand, DBT emphasizes reducing anxiety and emotional distress; on the other, it teaches the importance of being mindful and radically accepting of yourself and your surroundings. Dr. Stacy Walker, the DBT Program Leader and founder of Harmony Harbor, often calls it “Radical CBT.”
At Harmony Harbor, DBT is our foundational treatment approach for youth, adults, and families. Our therapists are trained in (or are being trained in) DBT by Behavioral Tech, the internationally-recognized training program developed by Linehan herself. And since DBT is best practiced in a team setting, each person who walks through our doors gains a team of professionals who actively work together to improve clients’ lives.
What Does Dialectical Mean?
The term “dialectical” itself refers to a way of thinking that moves beyond simple “yes” or “no” answers. It directly counters all-or-nothing thinking by recognizing that seemingly opposing ideas can both be true simultaneously. This understanding of coexisting, valid truths is central to the dialectical approach.
For instance, you can love someone deeply while still holding firm boundaries in your relationship with them. You can also enjoy being a parent while still missing certain aspects of life before you had kids. After all, life is hardly ever black and white—many of us have conflicting emotions about even the best of changes. DBT teaches you to embrace this mindset, fostering a more integrative perspective on life.
Have any questions? Send us a message!
What Makes Dialectical Behavior Therapy So Effective?
DBT is not your typical intervention. It requires years of studying, training, and mentoring and is meant to be practiced with a trained team of licensed mental health providers. It is highly effective and supported by a vast amount of research.
The very first DBT study, conducted in 1991, found that it dramatically reduced self-harming urges among women with borderline personality disorder (1). Since then, numerous studies have proven that DBT can help with emotional regulation (2), eating disorders (3), sexual trauma, and many other mental health challenges (4).
Part of what makes DBT so effective is that it addresses very specific skill deficits in clients’ lives. For instance, many people with severe trauma might resort to impulsive and high-risk behaviors to deal with their emotions. DBT seeks to replace destructive coping with strategies that are effective and empowering.
Why Should I Choose Harmony Harbor For DBT Treatment?
At Harmony Harbor, we use Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help clients dealing with the following (to name a few):
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma
- Complex PTSD
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Many of our clients come to us after years of being let down by the healthcare system. They’ve spent significant time and money in inpatient programs and tried countless forms of treatment, but their symptoms haven’t improved and their relief doesn’t last once treatment ends. Many clients are desperately trying to avoid repeat hospitalizations and feel like they have exhausted all their resources.
What helps them find relief when they come here? We are able to meet their needs through our comprehensive team approach and give them skills that last long after their DBT treatment is complete.
How Does Dialectical Behavior Therapy With Harmony Harbor Work?
With our practice, you get the best of two worlds—clinical expertise in a warm, inviting, retreat-like space where you feel relaxed and right at home as soon as you walk in the doors. And unlike most practices, we don’t just have one professional looking out for you—we have a whole team that works together to help you achieve your goals.
Our DBT program takes about 6 months to complete and consists of five different forms of treatment:
- Skills Training—The most important aspect of DBT therapy is the 18 weeks of skills training, which takes place in a group setting for an hour and 45 minutes each week. Your skills trainer will help you and the other members work on DBT skills such as mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. In the high-school teen group therapy, parents are included, and we also have a group for parents and middle-schoolers.
- Individual Therapy—Your individual therapist will typically meet with you once a week to support your personal process and discuss things that you may not be comfortable sharing with the group.
- Family Therapy—If needed, family members may be included in DBT treatment. Family sessions work well for teens who benefit from having their parents involved, and they can also help adults who want a spouse or another family member to attend sessions with them.
- Consultation—Once a week, your team of providers here at Harmony Harbor will meet to talk about your progress and assess what could be done differently to help you. This way, you’ll have a whole team advocating for you!
- Phone Coaching—For many people, standard therapy is ineffective because they are without their therapist for six days of the week. While our DBT therapists are not on call 24/7, they do offer phone coaching so that you can access your provider in between sessions when you need them the most.
While you engage in the DBT counseling process, you’ll also create a weekly diary card to track your behaviors and progress. And when your goals have been reached and treatment is complete, you are welcome to continue pursuing therapy with us—in fact, many clients enjoy the DBT program so much that they choose to repeat it or attend our advanced DBT program called Mind-Body DBT! What’s more, many feel they are emotionally equipped to address deeper unresolved trauma through our other treatment modalities.
How Can Dialectical Behavior Therapy Benefit Your Life?
The basic goal of DBT is to help you learn to be okay in a world that isn’t. You can think of it as a life skills roadmap, a way of ensuring that you have internal resources you can pull out at any time. Each week, you will gain new skills and practice implementing them into various areas of your life. You’ll learn to:
- Navigate crisis situations
- Shift difficult emotions
- Establish effective boundaries
- Practice self-compassion and gain-self respect
- Be mindful and present in the moment
- Communicate more effectively in your relationships
Most clients tell us that the mindfulness and emotional regulation skills they gain through DBT are life-changing. It’s especially incredible to witness DBT’s effects on teens and families. When parents and teens go through the DBT process together, their relationship usually deepens as they learn a new language, in a sense, and they are able to practice the skills together at home. In fact, many parents tell us that they wish they’d known about DBT sooner, and that it would’ve greatly helped them in their youth!
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1845222/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24974307/
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/an-adaptive-randomized-trial-of-dialectical-behavior-therapy-and-cognitive-behavior-therapy-for-bingeeating/62162ACBDFED631A899FD598BEC25D6B
- https://bpded.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40479-017-0065-5
Common Questions About Our DBT Program
To begin the DBT program, you’ll first schedule an intake appointment with one of our counselors. From there, you’ll move through an orientation process with your individual DBT therapist — your main point of contact throughout the program.
During orientation, you’ll start learning the foundations of DBT right away. The introduction phase typically takes about four weeks and includes real DBT skills practice with your individual therapist, so your healing journey begins from day one.
Our DBT program generally runs for about six months. New members can typically join about every six weeks, depending on space and readiness.
Before joining a group, you’ll complete 4–5 individual sessions for evaluation and orientation.
DBT Skills Training Groups meet weekly for 18 weeks, with each session lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. The program is divided into three, 6-week modules, and new participants may join at the start of a new module.
Once you and your individual therapist decide you’re ready — and your attendance and payment agreements are complete — we’ll reserve your spot in a group.
Rates vary slightly depending on your provider and the type of group (for example, adult vs. multi-family). The average rate is $75–$85 per weekly group (1.75 hours each).
You may choose to pay:
- Weekly
- Per 6-week module, or
- For the full 18-week program upfront — which includes a $100 discount.
We accept:
- All major credit cards (including HSAs)
- Care Credit
- Zelle
- Venmo
- PayPal
Adjusted Rates
Financial accessibility is part of our values. Adjusted rates are available. If you need an adjusted rate, discuss your needs with your individual counselor. Each counselor has a limited number of adjusted-rate spots, and rates are determined collaboratively based on your goals, treatment plan, and frequency of sessions.
Adjusted rates are also available for veterans and through certain community partnerships and referrals.
You can view provider-specific rates here. Please note: the initial evaluation is not eligible for rate adjustment.
Yes. Individual therapy is a key component of DBT and helps you apply what you learn in skills group to your real-life experiences.
Our DBT-trained therapists receive ongoing mentorship, advanced training, and participate in a weekly DBT Consultation Team — ensuring you receive comprehensive, team-based support throughout your program.
While the skills groups focus on teaching DBT tools, individual sessions provide a space to personalize and deepen your understanding of those skills. You’ll complete a weekly diary card that you and your therapist review together, helping you stay mindful of your progress and challenges.
DBT is a meaningful time commitment — typically about six months — but the investment in yourself can be life-changing.
If DBT is recommended after your evaluation, we generally ask that you pause other therapeutic treatments for the duration of DBT.
This isn’t about replacing your therapist — it’s about creating the focus and structure needed to benefit fully from the DBT model. DBT usually involves two appointments per week (around three hours total), and participating in multiple therapy models at once can be overwhelming and counterproductive.
Allowing DBT to take the lead for this season of growth helps ensure the greatest benefit and success.
Because each DBT group has a limited number of seats, once you enroll, that space is reserved specifically for you.
Your initial individual sessions are designed to help determine whether DBT is the best fit before committing. If you’re unsure, we often recommend starting with one, 6-week module to experience the structure and benefits firsthand.
Sometimes it takes a few weeks for the skills to “click,” so give yourself time — these are truly life skills rooted in neuroscience and mindfulness.
(You can read more about this in Dr. Walker’s blog — the founder of Harmony Harbor.)
Yes — we welcome and encourage it! DBT can be even more powerful when loved ones learn the same skills and language of emotional regulation.
For teens, one parent or guardian must attend the skills training alongside their child. For adults, partners are welcome to participate too (they’ll go through the same orientation process). Couples, however, attend separate skills training groups.
You’ll need a copy of the DBT Skills Training Manual by Marsha Linehan, which you can purchase in our office (typically around $45). We sell them at cost, but you can also find them online:
DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, 2nd Edition – Marsha Linehan (Amazon link)
We also ask for releases of information so we can collaborate with your referring clinician or any additional providers to support continuity of care.
Skills for Life. Support for Healing.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a mind-expanding and transformative experience led by highly trained clinicians. At Harmony Harbor, our therapists are trained by the gold standard program from Marsha Linehan– Behavioral Tech, and mentored directly by Dr. Walker.
It is possible to live a better life.
To get started on your journey of empowerment and healing, you can schedule directly with one of our therapists right now or set up a time for a free consultation at your convenience, so we can continue to support you.
2201 Cantu Ct, Suite 104
Sarasota, FL 34232
We are located in the Live Oak Office Building