Our Intake and Office Coordinator, Rebecca, will be your first point of contact.  If you call and she is not available to answer, please leave a message and she will return your call within 1–2 business days. When you are able to speak with her, she will ask you for some additional  information (name, birthdate, insurance and billing info, reason for calling) to expedite your intake process. 

You will then receive an email invitation to set up an account with our secure portal. Through this account, you will receive intake paperwork to download and complete.

Once you have completed the intake paperwork, Rebecca presents you to our clinicians at our Wednesday Clinical Placement meeting, at which point you will be assigned to the best-fit clinician.  Your clinician will then reach out to you by Friday to schedule your first appointment with them, which will be a Comprehensive Clinical Assessment.

At your clinical assessment, your clinician will conduct a full mental health assessment and will talk to you about your goals and treatment path. Your clinician will assess which program will be the best fit for you. They will recommend you for our Comprehensive DBT Program, Comprehensive RO DBT Program, or trauma/trauma-informed therapy (EMDR, Brainspotting, or exposure) based on your needs and goals.

We participate on the Blue Cross/Blue Shield provider panel (with the exception of plans that were designed for certain entities such as Wake and Duke), so we are able to bill them directly for payment.

In addition, some of our providers are paneled with Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare, Oxford, and Oscar Health.

For folks who have other insurance providers, we are able to give you a superbill so that you can file to use your out-of-network benefits. Payment is due at the time of service and we provide you with a monthly superbill detailing your services for that month. In North Carolina, insurance companies are required to reimburse you within a set number of days. Please check with your insurance company prior to scheduling. Ask your insurance company about their “out-of-network coverage”, yearly deductible, percentage they will reimburse, and whether a prior authorization is needed.

In addition, as a commitment to our values and our community, we each hold a number of slots that are available for scholarship.  This means that if you are out of network with our paneled insurances or you are uninsured or under-insured, we are usually able to work with folks to determine an amount that is reasonable for the client and the clinician.  If you need this option, please be sure to let them know during your first call.

For individual therapy, our fees are $200.00 for the first appointment (Comprehensive Clinical Assessment);  $175.00 for most following appointments (typically one hour sessions).  There may be reasons that you and your therapist decide to have a shorter session, in which case the rates would be between $100-$150, depending on time spent in session.

The fee for our DBT and RO DBT Skills classes is $40.00 per session if you are seeing a Guilford Counseling therapist and $60.00 if you are seeing an outside therapist. All fees must be paid at the time of service.

For folks who have other insurance providers, we are able to give you a superbill so that you can file to use your out-of-network benefits. Payment is due at the time of service and we provide you with a monthly superbill detailing your services for that month. In North Carolina, insurance companies are required to reimburse you within a set number of days. Please check with your insurance company prior to scheduling. Ask your insurance company about their “out-of-network coverage”, yearly deductible, percentage they will reimburse, and whether a prior authorization is needed.

In addition, as a commitment to our values and our community, we each hold a number of slots that are available for scholarship.  This means that if you are out of network with our paneled insurances or you are uninsured or under-insured, we are usually able to work with folks to determine an amount that is reasonable for the client and the clinician.  If you need this option, please be sure to let them know during your first call.

Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes people come to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems with anxiety or depression. Other times people come in response to unexpected life changes, such as a divorce or work transition. Many seek the advice of a counselor as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth. Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. Therapy can help address many types of issues including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, body-image issues, and general life transitions. Therapy is right for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life. You’ve probably successfully navigated through many difficulties, but there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand. This is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are in life and committing to change the situation by seeking therapy. Research shows that therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support. It can give you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

Psychotherapy has many benefits. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find counselors to be a tremendous asset in managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

• Gain a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and your values
• Develop skills for improving your relationships
• Find resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
• Learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
• Manage anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
• Improve communication and listening skills
• Change old behavior patterns and developing new ones
• Discover new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
• Improve your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence

Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. It is standard for therapists to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during therapy sessions. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts around an hour. Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain behaviors. It is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life between sessions. For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. People seeking therapy are willing to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create greater awareness in their lives. Here are some things you can expect out of therapy:

• Compassion, respect and understanding
• Perspectives to illuminate persistent patterns and negative feelings
• Real strategies for enacting positive change
• Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance

Good question!  I frequently speak with folks who have been in “talk therapy” for years, and they’re very frustrated by the time they are sitting across from me.  They’ve spent a lot of time, money, and usually relationships and self-worth, along the way…without much to show for it.  The really unfortunate thing is that many of them have been “fired” from treatment, or have been told that they weren’t progressing, or other such devastating horror stories.  And the reality is (usually), it’s the treatment that has failed these folks, not themselves or their lack of trying.  After we jump into it, and folks see a much different approach, they often feel hope, self-worth, empowered…and often times, like they’ve finally found the key.  Now, don’t let me give you the wrong impression…DBT takes work!  For both of us, actually; but that’s part of the deal…I’m in it if you’re in it.

Here’s a brief video that does a good job giving an overview of “What the Heck is DBT?” by Esme Shaller at UC San Francisco:

National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder

NEA.BPD was initially created as a resource and support group for the families of the BPD diagnosis. NEA.BPD has grown to be a large community of both people and information. You don’t have to travel this path alone. There is hope.

http://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com/

DBT and Supporting Research

Research has shown DBT to be effective in reducing suicidal behavior, non-suicidal self-injury, psychiatric hospitalization, treatment dropout, substance use, anger, and depression and improving social and global functioning. For a review of the research on DBT, go to this website at Behavioral Tech.

There’s also a short video, in which DBT Developer and Behavioral Tech founder Dr. Marsha Linehan describes the amazing changes she’s seen in people who have received DBT and gotten out of hell.

http://behavioraltech.org/resources/whatisdbt.cfm

In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and therapist. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client.

However, there are some exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:

• Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.

This will take you to an article written by a recovered individual who used to meet criteria for a diagnosis of BPD.  However, after getting DBT treatment, she no longer meets criteria.

Here is her list of what to look for in a DBT therapist.  I absolutely agree with all of this…and would add that, in addition to these criteria, you should also look for an individual that is Certified, or at the very least, has been Intensively Trained (which means that they have completed 65 hours of additional DBT-specific training by trainers approved by Dr. Marsha Linehan).

http://mydialecticallife.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-dbt-therapist/