Welcome to The DBT Clinic

Life can be messy and feel overwhelming, and sometimes we can feel ill-equipped to handle it effectively. We might find ourselves having a difficult time controlling our emotions and reacting in ways that we later regret. Perhaps we blow up at others, pushing those closest to us away; or we might turn on ourselves with self-criticism, self-harming behaviors and/or thoughts of death. We can find ourselves trapped in troubled relationships, or stuck in worry and despair.

Sound familiar? If you, or a loved one, can relate to this, then you have come to the right place. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may be helpful for you!

Hours of Operations

The DBT Clinic in close-in Portland, OR provides full fidelity DBT services, including individual and group therapy from our highly trained staff. Our office is generally open Monday through Friday 9am – 6pm. We do not accept walk-ins.

Telehealth visits are available. Schedules are determined by individual providers.

Staff

We have a wide range of therapists to serve our community.  Each of our providers are highly trained in DBT, as well as other modalities unique to their interests.  Our providers are encouraged to use a range of therapeutic modalities that best fit the client’s needs. Our staff is led by clinic founder and owner Larry Smith, LPC with 30 years of experience.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of psychotherapy that increases peoples’ ability to live life well.

DBT was developed by Marsha Linnehan, PhD, who wanted to develop a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). DBT is very effective, not only for BPD, but for a wide variety of problems, including depression, eating disorders, substance abuse and “multi-diagnostic, difficult-to-treat” patients.

Research studies comparing DBT to standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or to psychodynamic therapy have shown DBT to be more effective. Clients get better faster and retain gains made. Follow-up measures of symptoms conducted at 6, 12 and 18 months post treatment show clients become even more effective/less symptomatic after discharge. It doesn’t matter the diagnosis, or even if there is no diagnosis. If one has a model of strategies and skills to deal effectively with the inevitable stress that is part and parcel to the human experience, one is better equipped to manage life more effectively and learn to create “a life worth living”. 

The component parts of DBT

Get started with The DBT Clinic by filling out our Contact form.

The Process

After filling out the form, we will contact you to schedule an intake appointment where you will meet with one of our clinicians to discuss your symptoms. This clinician will assess your needs in therapy, answer any questions you may have, and discuss their clinical recommendations based on your presented needs.

Insurance

If you intend to use insurance, please bring your insurance card, so we can get a copy of it. Among the staff members here, we try to panel with most of the major insurance companies in this area such as:

  • AETNA
  • First Choice
  • HealthShare/OHP
  • Kaiser
  • MODA
  • Pacific Source
  • Providence
  • Cash/Out-of-Pocket

Individual staff members are paneled with specific companies from this list. Please inquire about your therapist’s insurance pairings.

We also ask that you know the details of your individual insurance plan (plans can vary widely). You can find out the details of your plan by calling your insurance company (the number is usually printed on the back of your insurance card). By doing this before your session, you can find out specifics of your outpatient mental health benefits.  Please know the following information:

  • Your co-pay or co-insurance.
  • If you have a deductible, and the amount remaining.
  • If your clinician is in network with your particular plan.  If not, find out the details of your out-of-network benefits, if any.

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