DBT SASKATCHEWAN · AN STG HEALTH CLINIC
DBT therapy for intense emotions, safer coping, and more workable relationships.
When feelings become overwhelming, you deserve care that helps you feel understood—and gives you something practical to work with.
Support for people living with borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder, and related emotional and relationship difficulties. We help you explore which care fits.
Clinician-reviewed intake · Individual and group options · Online across Saskatchewan
A DIFFERENT RESPONSE BECOMES POSSIBLE
01
Something happens
A difficult moment. A thought. A feeling.
02
Emotion and urges rise
The pull towards a familiar response.
THE CHOICE POINT
Pause. Bring in a skill.
Practise making another response more available.
Familiar response
Brief relief may come with a familiar cost.
A different response
A skill may change what happens next.
A simplified behavioural chain. In treatment, we also explore vulnerabilities, context, and consequences.
DOES THIS FEEL FAMILIAR?
Knowing what to do can be different from being able to do it.
You may understand your patterns when things are calm—and struggle to reach those same skills when emotions rise.
01
Something touches a sore spot
Conflict, uncertainty, or feeling disconnected.
02
Intensity rises
Your body reacts; thinking clearly becomes harder.
03
An urge takes over
You want relief, reassurance, distance, or escape.
04
Coping brings brief relief
A familiar response helps in the moment.
05
The aftermath is painful
Shame, fear, exhaustion, or a relationship to repair.
We work on the cycle, without blaming you.
Your responses make sense in context. Together, we look for places where a different response could help.
This is one possible pattern, not a description of everyone or a diagnostic test. Bipolar mood episodes also need their own assessment and treatment.
UNDERSTANDING + PRACTICE
DBT works through acceptance and change.
We validate why the response makes sense, identify the behavioural chain that keeps repeating, and practise concrete skills until a different choice becomes more available under pressure.
Acceptance
Validate what makes sense. Observe your experience. Reduce judgement.
Change
Understand behaviour. Practise skills. Change ineffective patterns.
Both belong in an effective response.
Understanding your experience and working towards something different.
TREATMENT PRIORITIES
We do not try to address everything at once.
01
Life-threatening behaviours
Start with safety and behaviours that threaten life.
02
Therapy-interfering behaviours
Address barriers on either side of the therapeutic relationship.
03
Quality-of-life interfering behaviours
Work on patterns that disrupt relationships, health, work, and daily living.
04
Skills acquisition and life-building
Build capabilities that support a more workable life.
These are Stage 1 treatment priorities. Skills are taught throughout; this is not a fixed or linear recovery sequence.
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
You do not have to choose a program alone.
The right starting point depends on your goals, safety, daily functioning, previous treatment, and the kind of support you need.
I want help with my own patterns
Individual treatment shaped around your goals and situations.
I want a stronger skills foundation
Learn skills and practise using them under pressure.
I need a more flexible starting point
Explore guided learning when it is clinically appropriate.
I may need more coordinated support
Review whether the full treatment model fits your needs.
WHEN COMPREHENSIVE DBT FITS
Care that works together.
Skills training
Learn new behavioural skills.
Individual DBT
Personalize treatment and priorities.
Your agreed treatment plan
The client-facing modes work together.
Between-session coaching
Use skills within agreed contact boundaries.
Consultation team → clinicians
Supports therapists’ effectiveness and adherence. Clients do not attend this team.
Comprehensive DBT brings all four modes together. Skills-only care is one part of that model. We explain what each program includes before treatment.
Looking for support with a particular concern?
BPD and bipolar disorder are different conditions and can occur together. For bipolar disorder, DBT skills may support coping and relationships alongside appropriate medical assessment and treatment.
A clinician reviews what you share and recommends a starting point.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR CARE
Warm, structured care. A real person alongside you.
DBT Saskatchewan is part of STG Health Services Inc. Our work is grounded in validation, practical skills, and respect for the person behind the pattern.
Dr. Chris de Feijter
Clinical Counsellor / Psychotherapist
EdD., MACP.
Mattea Koebernick
Mental Health Therapist
BA (PSYCH), MACP.
Dr. Mike White
Registered Doctoral Psychologist
MEd., PhD.
Your intake review identifies the clinician and service suited to your needs. Team involvement varies by program.
SKILLS THAT REACH EVERYDAY LIFE
Understand it. Practise it. Review it together.
The aim is to make skills more available in the moments you need them—not only when things are calm.
Different skills for different moments.
Notice what is happening.
Get through without adding harm.
Choose a skill
Match the response to the situation.
Understand emotions; reduce vulnerability.
Ask, set limits, and protect self-respect.
Your diary becomes a useful conversation.
Our Diary Card Analysis Report brings submitted entries together so you and your clinician can notice patterns, recognize skills, and identify what to work on next.
Page 1 · Patterns
Page 2 · Skills and next steps
Fictional example, not client data. Report use and review arrangements depend on your treatment program.
01
Situation happens
Notice the earliest useful cue.
02
Use and track a skill
Practise a response and note what follows.
03
Use included support
Coaching or secure support only where agreed.
04
Review and refine
Bring the result back into treatment.
Coaching is part of comprehensive DBT. Other programs may include different support. Contact channels, availability, and response boundaries are agreed before treatment. Messaging is not emergency care.
BEYOND GETTING THROUGH
More room for the life that matters to you.
Stability can create room for relationships, valued goals, and a fuller life. Progress is individual; setbacks can be part of learning.
01
Stabilizing
Reduce crisis patterns.
02
Building capacity
Strengthen skill fluency.
03
Living more fully
Move towards relationships and goals.
Already completed DBT?
You may want to refresh your skills or work on putting them into a fuller life.
STARTING CARE
A clear next step, without having to figure everything out.
01
Share what has been happening
Complete the secure intake with your concerns, goals, and practical needs.
02
We review the fit
A clinician considers the pattern, safety, treatment history, and amount of support needed.
03
Understand your options
Receive a recommendation and discuss the plan, fees, and support included.
FEES + COVERAGE
Know the practical details before care begins.
Fees vary by clinician and program. We clarify costs and any funding arrangements before treatment.
Private insurance reimbursement depends on your plan. NIHB and Métis Nation–Saskatchewan funding may be available after approval for eligible clients.
LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE
A place to begin understanding.
Practical information before and between appointments.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you begin
Do I need a BPD diagnosis to begin?
No. Intake considers your difficulties, goals, safety, functioning, and treatment history to understand whether DBT may fit.
Is DBT only a group program?
No. We offer individual therapy, skills groups, guided options, comprehensive DBT, and specialized programs. Skills training alone is not the same as comprehensive DBT.
How does this fit with bipolar disorder care?
DBT skills may help with coping, routines, and relationships alongside appropriate medical assessment and treatment. Mood episodes and medication needs require appropriate medical care; DBT is not a replacement for that care.
Can I access care outside La Ronge?
Care options include secure virtual appointments across Saskatchewan when clinically appropriate. Your intake review considers location and service suitability.
What if I am currently unsafe?
DBT Saskatchewan is not an emergency service. For immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For suicide crisis support, call or text 988. Saskatchewan HealthLine 811 can provide health and mental-health advice.
WHEN YOU ARE READY
You can start with what is happening now.
You do not need a perfect explanation or a confirmed diagnosis. Share what has been difficult, and we will help you explore the next step.
Secure intake · Reviewed by a clinician · Saskatchewan