Strong emotions can show up fast and feel hard to manage. Our therapists teach DBT skills to help teens and adults stay present, handle stress, and communicate their needs, in one-on-one visits or a six-week adult skills group. Meet in Scottsdale or ask about secure video with select therapists in Arizona, New York, or Hawaii.
One minute things feel fine. The next, you may feel angry or panicked. You may even experience more than one strong feeling at the same time.
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, teaches skills for those moments (and the minutes right after). You learn to accept your feelings while practicing skills to choose how you respond.
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Or call (480) 639-5559
We’ve cared for Scottsdale adults, teens, and families since 2012 in our office on East Shea Boulevard. Select therapists also offer secure video visits in Arizona, New York, and Hawaii.
Psychologist Marsha Linehan developed DBT in the 1980s for people whose emotions felt overwhelming and hard to manage. DBT builds on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It emphasizes accepting your feelings while learning new ways to respond to them.
At Pathways Counseling Services, we offer DBT-informed therapy. That means your therapist teaches DBT skills during your regular one-on-one visits, and the skills often fall into these four areas.
You may lose your temper and think about it for hours afterward. Other adults notice panic that comes on fast, or arguments with a partner or family that grow bigger than they need to be.
In one-on-one visits, your therapist teaches skills that may help in those moments. You might practice noticing the thoughts and feelings that come up in a hard moment. Or you might plan what to say before a hard conversation and practice saying it out loud.
The six-week skills group for adults is another option. You can join it on its own or alongside your visits.
It's common for teens to feel things strongly, and some may find it harder to calm down afterward.
Our therapists use a version of DBT adapted for teens in one-on-one visits. Your therapist will explain your child's privacy and your role as a parent.
During the first visit, you and your therapist will spend time identifying your current challenges and where to start. This visit is 75 minutes.
After that, visits are 45, 60, or 75 minutes. You may start by talking about a hard moment from your week, like a fight about homework. Then you and your therapist practice skills to help you handle a similar moment next time.
You and your therapist will plan short practice steps to try at home during the week. At your next visit, you’ll talk about when you used a skill and how it went (including the times it didn’t help). Skills you may learn include these.
Our DBT skills group for adults meets in person in Scottsdale, once a week for six weeks. One of our therapists leads each meeting.
Each meeting starts with a check-in and a review of the prior week’s skill. The therapist then teaches the next skill and has the group practice it together.
You can join the group on its own or alongside one-on-one visits. Already seeing a therapist somewhere else? You’re welcome to keep seeing them, and you can ask about the next start date on your free call.
If your schedule is full, tell your therapist. Together, you can plan small practice steps that fit your week.
If nightmares or flashbacks after a trauma are the main concern, your therapist may suggest starting with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) instead. You can tell us what you’re struggling with on the free 15-minute call. You don’t need a diagnosis or a doctor’s note first.
You choose your therapist. Take time to explore our team page. You can read about each therapist’s license, training, and the people they help.
Our therapists who use DBT often use CBT in the same visit, since the two approaches overlap.
If your therapist doesn’t feel like a good fit, let us know. We can help you look at other options.
For video visits, your therapist must be allowed to provide care in the state where you are during each visit. We’ll check which therapists can see you before you book.
One-on-one visits: your first visit is 75 minutes and costs $285 to $490, based on your therapist. Later visits cost:
Six-week DBT skills group: $490 for the full course, paid once. The group is for adults and meets in person at our Scottsdale office.
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Ask us about your therapist’s hours.
You’ll find us at 8414 E. Shea Blvd., Suite 101, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Select therapists also offer one-on-one video visits for clients in Arizona, New York, or Hawaii.
To book, schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation or call (480) 639-5559.
No. It’s DBT-informed therapy, where your therapist teaches DBT skills in your regular one-on-one visits. A full program also adds phone coaching and a weekly therapist meeting. If you need that level of support, we may refer you to a higher-intensity program.
DBT grew out of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses mainly on the thoughts behind a feeling, like the belief that you always mess things up. DBT focuses more on what to do while a feeling is at its strongest.
It can be, though it depends on the teen. Some teens connect with DBT’s practical skills, and our therapists use a version made for teens. Your therapist will explain your child’s privacy and your role as a parent.
Your safety and well-being come first.
Our practice offers weekly therapy and does not provide daily support or emergency care. After a suicide attempt or a hospital stay, your care team can help you decide if weekly DBT meets your needs. You may need more support for a time.
If you’re thinking about suicide, call or text 988. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911.
The skills group lasts six weeks. One-on-one DBT does not have a set length, and your therapist will help you decide what fits. Some people come every week at first, then every other week.
Select therapists offer one-on-one visits by secure video when you’re in Arizona, New York, or Hawaii. We’ll check which therapists can see you in your state. The skills group meets in person in Scottsdale.
How much you share about your own life is up to you. Most of each meeting is spent learning that week’s skill and practicing it together.
Yes. Your client can book a free call and mention your name, then keep seeing you while they join our six-week group.
Your therapist will explain what stays private and when safety concerns or the law may require them to share information. Group members agree to keep information private. Still, we cannot guarantee that every member will follow this rule.
We do not accept insurance. You pay us directly for your care. We can give you a special receipt called a superbill. You can send it to your insurance plan to ask if it will pay back part of the cost. Check with your plan first. Not all plans cover DBT.
We offer scheduled therapy visits. We do not provide emergency care. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911.
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