Immediate danger? Call 911. Health advice: call 811. Suicide crisis support: call or text 988.

Self-study with therapist guidance

DBT Guided Self-Help

A structured bridge for people who want DBT skills but cannot realistically attend weekly therapy or a full group right now. You follow a defined workbook path and meet monthly with a therapist to maintain direction and application.

You don’t need to choose a program before contacting us. Intake does not commit you to treatment.

Your care at a glance

  • Structured DBT workbook pathway
  • Monthly therapist guidance
  • Four core DBT modules
  • Option to step up to group or individual care when needed
Fit and safety

Could this support fit your needs?

This service may be right for you if…

  • You want DBT skills but weekly therapy or group attendance is not realistic
  • You can complete reading and practice independently between guidance sessions
  • Your risk and clinical needs can be safely supported at a lower-intensity level
  • You have tried self-help before but need accountability and clinical direction to follow through

A different pathway may be safer or more useful when…

  • Frequent self-harm, suicidal behaviour, severe instability, or repeated crisis requires a more intensive pathway
  • You need live weekly teaching and group repetition rather than independent learning
  • Cognitive, literacy, medical, or environmental barriers make workbook-based self-study impractical
Program structure

A repeatable monthly learning cycle

Each cycle converts reading into action so the work does not stay theoretical.

Prepare

Complete the assigned reading and identify the situations where the skill could matter.

Meet

Review learning, barriers, safety, and the most relevant application with the therapist.

Practise

Use a small number of selected exercises in real situations rather than attempting every strategy at once.

Review

Bring back what worked, what did not, and whether the current level of support remains appropriate.
Clinical rationale

This is not “read a book and hope”

Self-help often fails because people are left to choose what matters, apply it alone, and restart after motivation drops. Guided Self-Help creates a clinical scaffold: a defined sequence, clear goals, monthly review, application to real situations, and an explicit decision about when to stay the course or step up care.

Clear learning sequence

Move through mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness in a coherent order.

Monthly clinical guidance

Review progress, resolve confusion, choose relevant practice, and connect skills to current patterns.

Step-up flexibility

Transition into group, individual, or comprehensive support when the evidence indicates that more structure is needed.
Between-session and practical support

Current fee options

The current public fee structure varies by session length and whether the client is also participating in an STG DBT Skills Group.

45 minutes — prior DBT experience

$75 per guidance session for clients not currently in an STG group who have previous DBT experience.

45 minutes — current group participant

$65 per guidance session for current participants in an STG DBT Skills Group.

60 minutes — standalone guided pathway

$100 per guidance session for clients using Guided Self-Help outside a current group.
Fees and access

Fees and practical details

Fees and eligibility can change. Confirm the recommended format and current fee during intake. Guided self-help, educational, or lower-intensity formats may not qualify under the same benefits as individual psychotherapy.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Questions you may have

No. Skills Training is a live weekly program with teaching and group repetition. Guided Self-Help is independent study with monthly therapist guidance.

Yes, when intake confirms that self-directed learning is clinically appropriate. The pathway begins with foundational material.

The clinician recommends an appropriate DBT resource and provides clear direction about the learning sequence.

Yes. The pathway is intentionally designed to allow step-up care when more structure becomes useful.

No. It is not an emergency service or a replacement for regular professional care when acute risk is present.

Related pathways

You may also be interested in…

DBT Skills Training

Choose live weekly teaching and repeated group practice.

DBT Individual Therapy

Choose personalized weekly treatment for higher-impact targets.

DBT for Emotional Relief

Choose a shorter live group when immediate emotional-rescue skills are needed.

You can work out the next step with us.

Tell us what has been difficult and what you hope to change. A clinician reviews your needs and explains the recommended support, practical arrangements, and next steps.

No referral is needed to contact the clinic. Your funding provider may have separate referral or authorization requirements.