Program Schedule

All our DBT Programs are open for referral.

You need to call or email us, and make an initial intake appointment with us to discuss what support you are needing and how we can help you.

We will then book you in for the Program you are interested in, and make a plan with you to meet your overall treatment needs or the goals you have for therapy.

Adult DBT Program is offered both during the day and in the evening.

DBT for Teens Program is offered after school, and runs alongside school term dates

DBT for Bulima & Eating Problems Program is available on an ongoing basis.

DBT Graduates Program is currently run after hours in the early evening, but is organised around times suitable for participants.

If you are interested in any of our Programs, please contact us.  Our Waiting List is run by date of contact and first appointment.

There is a maximum number of participants in each DBT skills group.

The program is delivered under the Better Outcomes Medicare scheme, which provides substantial medicare rebates for group and individual sessions.

Medicare rebates at set by the Australian Government, and are updated typically in November.  Medicare provides a higher rebate where the session or group is conducted by a clinical psychologist, and less for sessions with a generalist psychologist.  Due to the difference in Medicare rebates, we have two levels of fees at the Centre for clinical and generalist psychologists.  There is an out of pocket cost for participation in the program, which is very manageable.

We recommend that you register for the Medicare Safety Net to assist in managing out of pocket costs for session fees, as Medicare pays an additional 80% of out of pocket medical costs once you have reached the threshold for accumulated medical costs per year.  Registration for the Safety Net is not automatic, you must request it from Medicare.

It is a requirement of the DBT Program that you attend both individual and group sessions on a weekly basis throughout each module.  Session fees are not negotiable.

The first module for the program is Mindfulness, which is then followed by Distress Tolerance . These two modules are over 12 weeks, and must be completed first.

Participants in each module attend a 1 hour weekly individual DBT session, and a weekly 2.5 hour DBT Skills Group session at another time, for the full 12 weeks of the module. Medicare rebates apply, if you are eligible under a Mental Health Care Plan.

The next 2 modules are Interpersonal Effectiveness and Emotion Regulation. Each of these modules are over 12 weeks each, and participants in each module attend a weekly 1 hour individual DBT session and a weekly 2.5 hour DBT Skills Group session for each module over the 12 weeks. Medicare rebates apply to both individual and group sessions, if you are eligible for these rebates under a Mental Health Care Plan.

These next two modules can be done sequentially following Mindfulness and Distress Tolerance, or at a later time that suits your circumstances.

We ask participants to commit to complete all modules in the full program, because we know that is what works and the research supports this treatment plan.

However, if you are unable to complete it in a sequence, that is ok.  We will work with you to make a plan and support you through it, over the time you need.

For more information on the content of each module, go to our tab ‘Description of DBT’ and scroll down to ‘Modules’.  You can also go to www.behaviouraltech.org or www.dbtselfhelp.com.

Graduates of our DBT program or DBT programs elsewhere have the option of joining our DBT Graduates Program.

This program has been designed by previous DBT graduates who have worked with Dr Johnson to create a Graduates Program that works for them, to maintain and extend what they have learnt in the DBT program.

We also encourage Graduates to remain engaged in regular individual sessions where possible. Medicare rebates apply for both the groups and individual sessions in the Graduates Program, if you are eligible for these rebates under a Mental Health Care Plan.

Graduate Groups involve a combination of DBT skills review, problem solving, mindfulness practice and support. Individual sessions focus on support in applying DBT skills and addressing other personal difficulties. In the DBT treatment heirarchy, participants in the DBT Graduates Program are engaged in Stage 2 and Stage 3 DBT.  Groups are 1.5 hours in length.

For more description of our DBT Graduate Program, go to our tab ‘Description of DBT’ and scroll down to ‘DBT Graduate Groups

The DBT Program for Teens involves a similar structure to the standard DBT program, with the exception that the DBT Skills Groups involve a family member or relevant other person attending the group sessions, the teen attending individual sessions on their own, and utilising family therapy as needed. The DBT Program for Teens follows Dr Linehan’s protocol, as outlined in the text by Miller, Rathus and Linehan, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents, published in 2007.

Medicare rebates apply for this program, if you are eligible under a Mental Health Care Plan. If you are interested, please contact us to discuss your needs.

For more information on our DBT Program for Adolescents, go to our tab ‘Description of DBT’ and scroll down to ‘DBT for Teens’.