Center for DBT

**please complete an appointment request to be contacted about our DBT GROUPs**

Services

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy progresses through stages depending on the needs of the client. Clients often enter therapy at stage 1, which is aimed at stabilization. Clients complete the DBT skills training group during this stage and may use skills coaching calls with their therapist depending on their treatment plan. In stage 2, the focus is on resolving symptoms related to mood difficulties and posttraumatic stress. Final stages of treatment involve building a life that reflects the client’s values and supporting self-confidence and acceptance. 

DBT is a naturally integrative treatment that blends principles of mindfulness, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, trauma-focused therapy, and humanism. Therapy sessions tend to be structured with the therapist as an active participant.

Groups

DBT groups are a structured, skills training program that progresses through four content modules. The first is a core mindfulness module, which is brief and returned to between each of the other modules. The focus of this module is increasing nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. The other modules are emotion regulation (i.e., promoting emotional awareness and developing effective ways to manage difficult emotions), interpersonal effectiveness (i.e., building and maintaining satisfying relationships), and distress tolerance (i.e., strategies to deal with crisis situations and the intense emotions that accompany them). It takes about 9 months to complete all four modules.

The DBT skills group meets weekly for 1.5 hours. The first part of the group is spent reviewing homework and giving and receiving feedback. The second part of the group is devoted to learning new skills through didactic learning and discussion. New group members can start at the beginning of any module. The group requires active participation from all members, including completing weekly homework. Our skills group is intended for clients currently meeting regularly with an individual therapist who could benefit from supplemental emotion regulation and interpersonal skills training. The individual therapist does not need to be a DBT therapist.

tuesdays 5:30 TO 6:30 (ALL GENDER 4-WEEK INTRo group) WITH DR. WALSH

TUESDAYS 9:00 TO 10:30AM (ALL GENDER) WITH DR. cogan

TUESDAYS 3:00 TO 4:30PM (women-identifying and non-binary) WITH DR. cogan

WEDNESDAYS 12:30-2:00PM (ALL GENDER) WITH DR. hansell

WEDNESDAYS 2:30 TO 4:00PM (ALL GENDER) WITH DR. hansell

THURSDAYS 9:00 TO 10:30AM (ALL GENDER) WITH DR. COGAN

Fridays 10:00 to 11:00am (all gender) Growth and Mastery Group with Dr. Kanga

Clients interested in learning more about our group DBT services should complete an appointment request or call us at 207-607-4022. All clients must complete an intake appointment prior to being admitted to the DBT group to assess goodness-of-fit and learn about the group.

Introduction to DBT SKIllS Group

We offer a 4-week Introduction to DBT group for clients currently on the waitlist for a full DBT skills group. This 60-minute group introduces participants to core DBT mindfulness and distress tolerance skills. The goal of this group is to enhance skill use while on the waitlist and to ensure a smooth transition into the full DBT skills group. 

The Introduction to DBT group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 and is open to all genders.

DBT GROWTH & Mastery GROUP

The DBT Growth and Mastery Group is a 60-minute, ongoing weekly group for clients who have completed at least one round through the DBT Skills Group program at Psychology Specialists of Maine and who have been recommended to the mastery group by their skills group leader. This group offers members the opportunity to extend and deepen their knowledge of skills learned in the DBT Skills Group. 

The DBT Growth and Mastery Group meets virtually with Dr. Kanga each week on Fridays from 10:00 to 11:00 and is open to all genders.

Professional Consultation, Training, and Supervision

Are you seeking additional support for your DBT practice or hoping to gain skills as a DBT therapist? Our team of experts can help with setting up a skills group, consulting around a challenging clinical case, obtaining advanced supervision in the practice of DBT, or offering a DBT training event for mental health professionals.

Contact Dr. Kate White at drwhite@psychologyspecialistsme.com for more information about fees and offerings.

Resources

Books

• DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets

• Calming the Emotional Storm: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Manage Your Emotions and Balance Your Life

• Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder: How to Keep Out-of-Control Emotions from Destroying your Relationship

• The Upside of your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self - Not Just Your Good Self - Drives Success and Fulfillment

Podcasts

• The Skillful Podcast

• To Hell and Back

• A Therapist Takes Her Own Advice

• Therapy for Real Life

Apps and Links

Overview of DBT: https://behavioraltech.org/resources/faqs/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt/ 

Emotion Lists:

• Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart Emotion List: 87-Human-Emotions-and-Experiences_1Page.pdf

• Feelings Inventory

Tracking Apps:

• DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach

• Simple DBT Skills Diary Card

• How We Feel

Mindfulness Apps:

• Insight Timer

• Headspace

• Calm

Crisis Resources

• Maine State crisis line: 988

• National crisis text line: text HOME to 741741