The DBT Clinic FAQ

FAQs

Who delivers treatment at the MML DBT Clinic?

The MML DBT clinic is a training clinic for graduate students in the Clinical and Child Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs at the University of Washington. As such, individual therapy and DBT skills training is provided by advanced clinical psychology graduate students, under the supervision of the DBT clinic director and other licensed supervisors. You can learn more about our current therapists and skills trainers on our Clinic Staff page.

Graduate students have completed extensive coursework and foundational practicum experiences before participating in the DBT Clinic practicum. In addition to close clinical supervision, the graduate student therapists meet with the director weekly on a DBT consultation team to help ensure that they adhere to the standards of the treatment.

How long does it take to complete your DBT program?

The length of time the program of treatment will take depends on the treatment targets agreed upon by the client and their individual therapist. A comprehensive DBT program requires a minimum of 6 months of skills training to be delivered concurrently with individual therapy.

Our program begins with an initial 6-month commitment to treatment. At the end of those 6 months, you will work with your therapist to evaluate your progress toward your treatment goals. You and your therapist will then decide on how much additional time you should plan to spend in treatment continuing to work toward those goals. If treatment goals have been reached before the end of the 6 months you can work with your therapist to decide whether to end treatment or components of the treatment before the 6 months have elapsed.

What payment options are available?

As a training clinic, we are not able to bill through insurance companies, and payment is expected at the time of service. Details about fees, including the application process for reduced fee services are discussed during the screening process for new clients. Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to offer deeply discounted services to those in financial need. 

How do I make an appointment?

Contact the Intake Coordinator by e-mail at DBTClinic@uw.edu or at (206) 685-3295. 

If we are currently accepting new clients, our Intake Coordinator will contact you to perform a phone screen to help determine whether you are a suitable candidate for DBT at our clinic. If our intake coordinator believes another clinic in the community may be a better fit, they will provide you with as much referral information as possible.

If we are not currently accepting new clients, we will provide you with the names of several other DBT clinics in the Greater Seattle area.