DBT Program in St. Paul, MN (MN DHS State Certified)
If your emotions feel overwhelming, hard to manage, or consistently impact your relationships or daily life, a more structured level of support may help.
Our comprehensive, adherent Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers the consistency, skills, and support needed to create meaningful, lasting change. It is ideal if you are struggling with significant emotion dysregulation, relationship challenges, and difficulty managing distress.
The program is offered in partnership with Twin Cities Counseling to ensure adherence to the DBT model, with care and creating a supportive, structured, and compassionate environment. Individual sessions are in person at my St. Paul office or online anywhere in Minnesota, and skills groups meet online.
What Is DBT — and Why Does It Work?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. Originally designed to support individuals experiencing intense emotional pain, suicidality, and self-harm, DBT is now widely used to treat anxiety, depression, PTSD and other emotional health disorders.
If you struggle with intense emotions, overwhelm, or relationship challenges, DBT offers practical, skills-based tools to help you feel more steady and in control.
DBT works by helping you both accept your current emotional experience and build the skills to create meaningful change.
Who This Program Is For
This program may be a good fit if you:
Feel overwhelmed by intense emotions
Experience frequent reactivity or shutdown
Struggle in relationships or fear abandonment
Have tried therapy but still feel stuck
Need more structure, support, and accountability
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit.
You just need a more supported and consistent approach.
Learn more about how DBT helps with borderline personality disorder, emotion dysregulation, anxiety and PTSD.
“You can’t think yourself into new ways of acting; you can only act yourself into new ways of thinking.”
What Does Adherent DBT Include?
Comprehensive, or adherent, DBT includes four core components:
Individual Therapy — personalized support applying DBT to your life
Skills Training Group — structured learning and practice of DBT skills
Phone Coaching — in-the-moment support to use skills in real life situations
Consultation Team — therapists working together to ensure high-quality care
DBT Skills Group
DBT skills group is a structured, supportive space where you’ll learn to manage intense emotions, reduce distress and improve your relationships.
This is not a traditional therapy group. It’s an in-depth learning experience with over a hundred evidence-based skills. Each session opens with a brief mindfulness practice and a check-in on last week’s skill, then we learn new skills through teaching, discussion and weekly practice.
Group times: two online groups, Mondays or Thursdays, 4–6 pm. You join one and attend weekly, with 8–10 members.
Join from wherever you feel comfortable. Groups meet virtually, so you get the structure and connection of a group without the commute.
DBT Skill Modules
🌿 Mindfulness: the foundation of all DBT skills. Observe your thoughts, emotions and sensations without judgment, creating space between feeling and reacting.
🔥 Distress Tolerance: get through emotional crises without making things worse, especially when you can’t change the situation right away.
💛 Emotion Regulation: understand, name and shift overwhelming emotions, reduce emotional vulnerability and increase positive emotion.
🤝 Interpersonal Effectiveness: ask for what you need, set boundaries and manage conflict without losing yourself.
⚖️ Walking the Middle Path: move away from all-or-nothing thinking and balance acceptance with change, in relationships and within yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is DBT different from regular talk therapy? DBT is structured and skills-based. Alongside talking through what's hard, you learn specific skills, practice them between sessions and track your progress, so change carries into daily life.
Can I join the skills group without the full program? The skills group is part of the DBT program and isn't offered on its own.
Is the program state-certified? Yes. It runs in partnership with Twin Cities Counseling PLLC, a Minnesota DHS-certified DBT provider. [link to the DHS certified-provider list]
Is DBT covered by insurance? I accept most major insurance plans, but not Medicare. Your cost depends on your plan.
Can I do the program online? Yes. Skills groups meet online, and individual sessions can be online for anyone in Minnesota or in person in St. Paul.
How to Join
Call me at 612-444-9741 or send me a message through my contact form to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. We'll talk about what you're looking for and whether the DBT program is the right fit.