Are Intense Emotions, Relationship Difficulties, or Impulsive Behaviors Getting in the Way of the Life You Want?

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by emotions, struggling in relationships, engaging in behaviors you later regret, or feeling stuck despite your best efforts, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may help.

DBT is an evidence-based treatment designed to help people develop practical skills for managing emotions, improving relationships, tolerating distress, and creating a life that feels meaningful and worth living.

DBT is often recommended for individuals experiencing:

  • Intense or rapidly changing emotions

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Chronic stress or emotional overwhelm

  • Relationship conflict and interpersonal difficulties

  • Impulsive or self-destructive behaviors

  • Self-harm or suicidal thoughts

  • Difficulty coping with painful life experiences

  • Uncertainty about values, goals, or identity

At the Psychology Specialists of Maine Center for DBT, we help clients build skills that create lasting change while also developing greater self-acceptance and compassion. Our goal is not simply symptom reduction, but helping individuals build lives that feel more stable, connected, and fulfilling.

Comprehensive DBT Services

Our DBT program may include:

  • Individual therapy with a DBT-trained therapist

  • Weekly DBT skills training groups

  • Ongoing consultation and support among our DBT treatment team

Depending on your needs, you may participate in some or all components of the program.

Dr. Kate White, DBT Group Coordinator

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

APPOINTMENT REQUEST

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.

We offer one “Introducetion to DBT” group on Tuesdays at 5:30pm that is available to clients on the waitlist and lasts 1-hour each week.

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. WHITE

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

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

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.

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.

Resources

Books

Podcasts

Apps and Links

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

Emotion Lists:

Tracking Apps:

Mindfulness Apps:

Crisis Resources

  • Maine State crisis line: 988

  • National crisis text line: text HOME to 741741