How long does DBT take to complete?

Typically 25 weeks, divided into three skill modules with mindfulness orientations.

Is DBT the same as CBT?

No; DBT builds on CBT by integrating mindfulness and acceptance alongside cognitive strategies.

Does DBT help with anxiety and trauma?

Yes, it reduces avoidance and improves regulation—core needs in trauma recovery.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Northern New Jersey

Q: Can I keep my current therapist?

Yes, many clients attend Lukin Center DBT skills groups while continuing therapy elsewhere.

Q: Do I have to talk about personal issues in group?

No; DBT groups are structured learning environments focused on practicing skills.

When emotions hit hard and fast, it can feel like they make your decisions for you. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches practical skills for intense emotions, crisis moments, and strained relationships, balancing acceptance of where you are with steady work toward change.

At Lukin Center for Psychotherapy, DBT is offered as DBT-informed individual therapy and through our structured Comprehensive DBT Program. We personally match every patient with a clinician whose training fits their needs, and your care connects to in-house psychiatry when it helps, all in one comprehensive treatment center.

Signs DBT May Be a Good Fit

DBT was first developed for people whose emotions felt overwhelming and whose ways of coping often made things harder. The patterns below are common reasons people ask about it. None of them confirms a diagnosis, and only a licensed clinician can recommend the right kind of care after a full assessment.

Patterns DBT Is Designed to Address

Many people who come to DBT have already tried therapy and still feel at the mercy of their reactions. DBT gives them specific skills to use in the moment, not only insight after the fact.

Emotions that feel intense, shift quickly, and take a long time to settle
Impulsive actions you later regret, such as outbursts, binge eating, or risky substance use
Self-harm urges or recurring thoughts of suicide
Relationships that swing between closeness and conflict
Feeling emotionally flooded, numb, or on edge after stressful events
Past therapy that offered insight but not lasting relief

Conditions Where DBT Is Often Used

DBT was originally developed for borderline personality disorder and has since been adapted for other concerns where emotion dysregulation plays a central role. Our post on what DBT can help with covers these in more depth.

Borderline personality disorder and related patterns of emotional instability
Self-injury and recurring suicidal thoughts, alongside careful safety planning
Eating disorders, especially binge eating and other emotion-driven eating
Substance use when difficult emotions drive cravings or relapse
PTSD and trauma-related distress, where skills can build stability
Depression and anxiety marked by intense emotional reactions

How DBT Works

Developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan, DBT rests on a dialectic, meaning two ideas held together: you can accept yourself as you are and still work toward change. Treatment teaches skills in four areas, then helps you use them in the moments that matter. Our guide to what DBT is and who it can help explains the approach.

Mindfulness helps you notice thoughts and feelings without being pulled along by them.
Distress tolerance gives you ways to get through a crisis without making it worse.
Emotion regulation helps you understand emotions and lower your vulnerability to them.
Interpersonal effectiveness helps you ask for what you need and set boundaries while keeping your self-respect.

Comprehensive DBT and DBT-Informed Therapy

DBT is not one-size-fits-all. The right level of structure depends on your symptoms, goals, treatment history, and current supports.

Comprehensive DBT combines weekly individual therapy, a weekly skills group, between-session phone coaching, and a DBT consultation team that supports your therapist.
DBT-informed therapy brings DBT skills into individual psychotherapy, or pairs our skills groups with your existing therapy, without the full program.

The DBT Program page covers comprehensive treatment in more detail, including program expectations and participating clinicians.

DBT vs. CBT

DBT grew out of cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT adds acceptance and mindfulness strategies, structured skills training, and coaching for real-life moments. The combination often suits people whose emotions move faster than their ability to think a situation through.

What to Expect When You Start DBT

Starting DBT should feel clear and manageable, even when life feels anything but. Here is what to expect from your first message through ongoing care.

Reach out: Submit our online intake form or call the number listed on our contact page. A free 15-minute consultation is available if you want to ask questions first.
Matching consultation: Our founding doctors review your concerns and match you with a clinician whose DBT training fits your age, needs, and goals.
Assessment: Your clinician reviews your history, current challenges, strengths, and safety, and together you decide whether DBT-informed therapy or comprehensive DBT fits best.
Orientation and commitment: You learn how DBT works, agree on goals, and start a diary card, a short daily log of emotions, urges, and skill use.
Weekly rhythm: Comprehensive DBT pairs a weekly individual session with a weekly skills group, plus phone coaching between sessions when it is part of your plan.
Review and adjust: Your clinician reviews your diary cards and progress regularly, adjusts the plan, and coordinates with psychiatry or family members when that helps.

Our skills curriculum typically runs about 25 weeks across three modules, each opening with mindfulness, and some clients repeat a cycle to deepen their skills. Your clinician sets goals with you early and reviews them as you go.

Who We Treat With DBT

DBT at Lukin Center is shaped around the person in front of us, not a one-size protocol. Pacing, family involvement, and session format change with age and need. We regularly work with:

Adolescents facing intense emotions, impulsive behavior, or conflict at home, often with caregivers learning skills alongside them.
Young adults managing emotional ups and downs through college, early careers, or living on their own.
Adults who want a structured, evidence-based way to manage emotions and relationships.
Families who want a shared language for communication and calmer responses to conflict.

Safety, Pacing, and Coordinated Care

DBT asks you to practice new responses during hard moments, which can feel uncomfortable at first. Your clinician paces the work, builds a personal safety plan with you, and checks in on risk throughout treatment. If you need more support than weekly outpatient care provides, we help you find the right level of care.

If you are in crisis or worried about your safety, call or text 988 or call 911. Our post on the warning signs of suicide explains what to watch for in yourself or someone you love.

Because therapy and psychiatry sit within one practice, DBT can be combined with other support when your plan calls for it.

Medication management with our in-house psychiatric team helps you decide whether medication belongs in your plan alongside DBT.
Exposure and response prevention treats OCD and anxiety when those concerns sit alongside emotion dysregulation.
The Eating Disorder Program can draw on DBT skills for emotion-driven eating within a broader treatment plan.
Group therapy at our practice includes other group formats beyond DBT skills training.
Parent coaching gives caregivers concrete ways to support a teen practicing new skills at home.

Not every option fits every person. Any medication decision is made with a prescribing clinician after reviewing your history and goals.

Keep Your Current Therapist or Refer a Client

DBT at Lukin Center is built to complement outside care, not replace it. Many clients keep their current therapist and add our skills groups, or work with a Lukin Center DBT therapist for a period before returning to their usual provider.

Clinicians can find the details on our DBT for referring therapists page. Referral options include:

Skills groups that run alongside the therapy you already provide
Regular updates on the skills covered, so you can reinforce them in session
Comprehensive DBT for clients who need more structure than outpatient therapy alone
A full transfer of care when that serves the client best

Insurance and Payment for DBT

Understanding cost before you begin makes the decision easier. Here is how payment works at our practice:

Lukin Center for Psychotherapy is a fully out-of-network practice and does not bill insurance directly.
Our office manager generates a monthly superbill you can submit to your insurer, and you may be eligible for out-of-network reimbursement depending on your plan.
Our rates and insurance page explains how out-of-network coverage works and which questions to ask your insurer before you begin.

Out-of-network benefits vary from plan to plan. Our guide to whether insurance covers therapy lists the questions worth asking. A free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to talk through fit and scheduling first.

Our Offices and Telehealth

Lukin Center for Psychotherapy serves Northern New Jersey from seven offices, with secure telehealth available statewide. Ask during your consultation which office, group, or format works best for your DBT care.

Therapy in Chatham, NJ serves Morris County families west of the Newark corridor
Therapy in Englewood, NJ serves eastern Bergen County
Therapy in Hoboken, NJ covers Hudson County and the commuter corridor into Manhattan
Therapy in Jersey City, NJ serves downtown Jersey City and the waterfront
Therapy in Montclair, NJ serves Essex County
Therapy in Ridgewood, NJ serves northwest Bergen County
Therapy in Westfield, NJ serves Union County

Why Choose Lukin Center for DBT

Evidence-based treatment plus the right clinician match is what sets DBT apart at our practice.

Dr. Konstantin Lukin, Ph.D. co-founded a practice that emphasizes cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapies for children, adolescents, and adults.
Dr. Paula Yanes-Lukin, Ph.D. co-leads a senior clinical team that guides how patients are matched with clinicians.
Dr. Amy Origlieri, Ph.D. uses DBT as the foundation of her work with adolescents and adults.
Shoshana Levie, LCSW is a psychotherapist who has completed DBT Foundational Training.
Founder-led matching pairs you with a clinician whose DBT experience fits your needs, rather than whoever has the next open slot.
The Lukin Center Training Center supports ongoing clinician education in evidence-based approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is dialectical behavior therapy?

DBT is an evidence-based talk therapy that teaches skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships. It balances acceptance with change, so you learn to validate your own experience while building new ways to respond.

What is the difference between comprehensive DBT and DBT-informed therapy?

Comprehensive DBT includes all four parts of the model: weekly individual therapy, a weekly skills group, phone coaching, and a therapist consultation team. DBT-informed therapy uses DBT strategies within individual sessions or pairs our skills groups with your existing therapy. You do not need to choose before contacting us.

Can I keep my current therapist while doing DBT?

Often, yes. Many clients attend Lukin Center skills groups while continuing individual therapy with their current therapist, and we coordinate care once you sign a release. Others work with a Lukin Center DBT therapist for a period and then return to their usual provider.

Do I have to talk about personal issues in group?

DBT skills groups are educational and skills-focused, not process groups. You choose how much you share. The emphasis is on learning, practicing, and troubleshooting skills you can use in daily life.

How long does DBT take?

It varies. Our skills curriculum typically runs about 25 weeks across three modules, and some clients repeat a cycle to deepen their skills. How long you stay in treatment depends on your goals and progress, which your clinician reviews with you regularly.

What is DBT phone coaching?

Phone coaching is brief support from your therapist between sessions, meant to help you use a skill in a difficult moment. It is part of comprehensive DBT and is not a crisis service. In an emergency, call or text 988 or call 911.

Does insurance cover DBT?

It depends on your plan. Lukin Center is out-of-network and does not bill insurance directly. We provide a monthly superbill you can submit, and you may be eligible for out-of-network reimbursement depending on your plan. Ask your insurer specifically about out-of-network outpatient psychotherapy benefits.

Can teenagers do DBT?

Yes. DBT is available to adolescents based on clinical fit, often with caregivers involved so skills are practiced consistently at home. Our clinicians adapt pacing and examples to a teen's age and stage of life.

Take the First Step Toward Steadier Days

You do not have to keep bracing for the next emotional storm. Reach out through our contact page or call one of the numbers listed there to book a free 15-minute consultation. We will listen, answer your questions, and personally match you with a clinician trained in DBT.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Northern New Jersey