Dialectical Behavior Therapy at LCCMHC

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based practice developed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D, in the 1980s and was the first effective treatment for adults with significant difficulty regulating their emotions. Our center's adult DBT Team, in operation since 2018, provides care to individuals who struggle with emotional regulation. 

LCCMHC's Adult DBT Program has been independently evaluated by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification and has demonstrated fidelity to the model. As such, it is recognized as a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification Certified Program.  

LCCMHC’s Adult DBT program is designed to provide stabilization for emotional dysregulation with skills teaching, integration, and application. The outpatient program allows patients the opportunity to stay in their homes with their traditional schedules and to acquire and apply new skills in real time. LCCMHC’s Adult DBT program seeks to equip patients by providing skills group classes, weekly one-hour therapy sessions with an individual DBT trained clinician, daily after hours DBT skills coaching, access to the center's DBT consultation team, and medication management.

When a person enrolls in services and is assessed at intake, they can be referred to the DBT program. In order to qualify for services, they must live in Lexington County, meet the need for high level of care, and struggle with significant emotional regulation issues.  Most patients who fit the criteria of this program struggle with impulsivity issues, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal problems, hospitalizations for suicidal ideations, those who struggle with self-injury, disordered eating, and substance misuse. The purpose of this program is to help people create a life worth living.

Referrals are sent to the DBT consult team for review and staffed for appropriateness for full comprehensive treatment. The treatment length spans approximately 1 year. This requires a weekly skills group for 12 months consisting of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. The purpose of skills acquisition is to learn how to regulate emotions and behaviors, reduce problem behaviors and replace these with skillful behaviors, and deepen supports. In addition to weekly skills group, participants will see an intensively trained DBT therapist weekly to utilize skills in their daily lives. Patients who use all aspects of the treatment as designed show improvement in behavioral control, a reduction of PTSD symptoms, significant reductions of primary diagnosis symptoms, and increased self-respect.

For more information about LCCMHC's Adult DBT, please call 803-399-9368 or email billie.stroud@omh.bhdd.sc.gov.