Tell me more about the DBT consultation team

Last updated about 5 years ago

Intensive and Intensive Plus pathways only-
  • What is a DBT consultation team?  A DBT consultation team is a group of DBT providers who work together to treat clients. A team has 4 to 8 people, and it could include a combination of providers who may have different roles, professional credentials (e.g., psychologists also working on a team with a psychiatrist), and/or work in different locations.  
  • Do I need a team to do DBT? Why?  Yes, you need a team! The DBT consultation team is a required part of the treatment. In order to be faithful to the DBT model and to truly do DBT, you need to be on a consultation team.  You can refer to Marsha Linehan’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder for a description of the important functions that the team serves in this treatment. 
  • Why is DBT a team-based treatment? There can be immense pressure on a DBT therapist, often created by clients’ risk of suicide or self-harm. The DBT team is there to make sure that the therapist is not pushed out of doing competent treatment by pressure from the client, from themselves, or from the demands of the program pushing them outside of their limits. 
  • How often do people meet with their DBT consultation teams? A DBT consultation team meets every week. This is true regardless of whether they are participating in the DBT Comprehensive Online program or are actively practicing DBT with your patients.  
  • What does a typical agenda include for a  DBT consultation team meeting? A typical meeting might start with 5-10 minutes of mindfulness practice. The team will spend a few minutes to review issues and tasks from the week before, and then the focus turns to the needs of the team members. They will behaviorally define their problem or question, then ask the team for help assessing or solving the problem. A DBT consultation team meeting might also include video review to aid the development of members’ skills.