DBT Individual Therapy
Stop surviving your emotions. Retrain your responses.
If you’re dealing with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) patterns—intense emotions, impulsive coping, relationship ruptures, and the aftermath that follows—you don’t need more willpower. You need a skills-first plan that works in the moment.
DBT Individual Counselling is one-on-one therapy with a dedicated DBT therapist. Sessions are structured, validating, and focused on reducing life-threatening and therapy-interfering behaviours first—then building the skills that create a life worth living.
Quick Read (60 seconds)
DBT individual counselling is typically weekly 1:1 sessions with a trained therapist.
Sessions are 50 minutes and focused on real-life problems and real-life skills.
DBT uses a treatment hierarchy: life-threatening → therapy-interfering → quality-of-life → skills-building.
The goal isn’t “talk about emotions.” It’s to change the patterns that keep creating fallout.
Secure therapist messaging may be available for support when life happens between sessions.
Does any of this feel familiar?
You might be a strong fit for DBT Individual Counselling if:
- Your emotions escalate fast—and your choices escalate with them.
- You’re stuck in the cycle: trigger → reaction → damage → shame → repeat.
- You’re trying to stop self-harm urges or suicidal thinking patterns.
- You keep missing therapy goals because life keeps blowing up first.
- You want a therapist who will be warm and structured—supportive and direct.
Many people with BPD don’t just struggle with emotions—they struggle with trust: trust in their body, trust in relationships, trust that change is possible.
The missing piece most counselling misses
Most therapy focuses on insight: your past, your patterns, your pain.
Helpful—but incomplete when your nervous system goes into overdrive.
In the moments that matter most—conflict, panic, urges, abandonment fears—insight often disappears. DBT works because it trains you to do something different while the intensity is happening, not just after.
That’s why DBT targets:
behaviours that threaten life (suicide/self-harm)
behaviours that sabotage therapy (no-shows, lateness, not doing assignments)
behaviours that wreck quality of life (substance use, impulsivity, mood/anxiety spirals)
Why we treat BPD this way
Because “trying harder” doesn’t work when your system is flooded.
Most clients arrive trapped in a loop like this:
Intensity → impulsive coping → consequences → shame → more intensity.
DBT individual counselling is built to interrupt that loop—with a structured hierarchy and a collaborative plan that prioritizes safety and momentum first.
The three shifts that make change sustainable
Shift 1 — From “Why am I like this?” to “What’s the target today?”
DBT reduces overwhelm by creating clarity: what’s most urgent, what’s maintainable, and what builds traction this week.
Shift 2 — From “I lose control” to “I can run a skill under pressure”
We identify your highest-risk moments and train a small set of skills until they become usable when emotions spike.
Shift 3 — From “I failed again” to “I can repair fast and keep going”
Setbacks aren’t proof you’re broken. They’re data. DBT builds recovery—so one hard day doesn’t become a hard month.
Treatment Options
Option A — DBT Individual Counselling (1:1)
(when emotions and behaviours are high-impact)
Best for: BPD patterns, self-harm urges, suicidal thinking, impulsive coping, severe relationship instability, and “aftermath living.”
What it is: weekly 50-minute sessions with a trained therapist, structured around DBT’s treatment hierarchy and your real-life goals.
Your plan is individualized, but often includes:
a shared “map” of your patterns and triggers
safety and crisis-prevention planning (when needed)
reducing life- and therapy-interfering behaviours first
applying DBT core skills to your specific symptoms, needs, and goals
strengthening the working relationship so therapy becomes a stable base, not another stressor
This isn’t “talk therapy and hope.” It’s structured, compassionate, and active.
You’ll be supported—and you’ll also be coached toward change.
Option B — DBT Skills Training + Individual
(combined pathway)
Prefer a more “full DBT system”? Many clients do best when individual sessions are paired with skills training, so you get both:
personalized application, and
repetition and practice (where skills become automatic)
If this is the best fit, we’ll recommend it at intake.
What you Get
(a clear, tangible plan)
When you start DBT Individual Counselling, your plan may include:
A prioritized target list (what we address first and why)
A strategy for life- and therapy-interfering behaviours
A skills-application plan tailored to your symptoms and goals
Between-session practices that build momentum (not busywork)
Validation + accountability (a combination most people have never experienced)
Dedicated support options, including secure messaging when available
Daily Diary Card using the STG Health App
Access to the STG Online Course Platform to continue your learning
What to Expect
(simple, predictable steps)
Step 1 — Pre-register / Book intake
Complete the form and we’ll contact you for next steps.
Step 2 — Screening + informed consent
You’ll complete intake/consent and brief screenings so we understand your symptoms and needs.
Step 3 — Intake appointment
We review your history and screening results and decide which DBT service to start with.
Step 4 — Start therapy
You’re matched with a dedicated therapist and typically start within 2–3 weeks.
Do I Need a Formal Diagnosis?
Not necessarily. Many people start because the patterns are obvious—intensity, impulsivity, relational chaos, self-harm urges, or repeated crises. DBT is designed around patterns and targets, not just labels.
If we see signs that additional assessment or medical follow-up is needed, we’ll tell you clearly during intake.
STG Online Clinic
(included for clients)
Clients also receive access to our secure online clinic tools (education, skills reinforcement, tracking/check-ins).
Think of this as your “between-session support system”—so you’re not relying on memory and motivation alone when things get hard.