You will then begin a 3-6 week phase of “Pre-DBT individual therapy.” This is a time for building a therapeutic relationship; history-taking; identifying goals for treatment; honing in on target behaviors; developing a diary card; getting oriented to core DBT theories, concepts, and strategies; solidifying commitment; etc. Assuming both parties continue to view DBT as a good treatment fit, group skills training would commence at the end of pre-treatment.

Once it becomes clear that we have an opening in the program, we will assign you to a skills group and an individual therapist. We ask that you call this therapist within 1-2 days to schedule an initial intake appointment.

Our intake coordinator will reach out to you to schedule a phone screening when there are upcoming openings in our program. The purpose of this phone screening is to review your application and determine if outpatient DBT is an appropriate treatment to meet your current needs. Unless it is clear from this screening that DBT is not a good fit, we will hold your name on the wait list for the next available opening in the program.

We ask that you call our intake coordinator every three weeks to express your continued interest. She will return your calls and, with time, be able to offer closer estimates regarding wait list length and timing for scheduling your phone screening. If a few months pass without updates from you, your name will be dropped from the waiting list.

Once we receive your application, our intake coordinator (202-686-7699, ext. 30) will contact you to acknowledge receipt of your application. At this time your name will be placed on our wait list. *Please note that being placed on the wait list does not guarantee admission to our program – it is the first step in our intake process which allows our intake coordinator to prioritize screening applicants based on the order in which they applied. Please make sure you get the treatment you need while you are on our wait list.

Complete the application (linked at the bottom of this page). This brief screening form is a preliminary tool for us to begin determining whether our DBT program is an appropriate treatment for you. It is not a substitute for a more thorough, in-person intake process.

Note: Clicking on the application link at the bottom of this page will take you to the HelloSign website, where you will be required to enter your email address in order to proceed with the application process. After submitting your email address, you will receive an email from HelloSign with the subject line “Click here to sign DBT Application.” Following the link in the email (“Review Document”) will allow you to begin completing your application electronically. Upon completion, the application will be securely transmitted to us.