FAQs for Clients
Isn’t DBT for “low-functioning” people?
No. Our program was designed by Dr. Napolitano specifically for high-functioning people who are maintaining full-time work or school schedules. Dr. Napolitano believes that people who work full-time or are in school full-time may still have difficulties with emotion regulation and can benefit from DBT. Our groups are in the evening to accommodate work and school schedules. Our program is not appropriate for individuals who have little behavioral control as a result of emotion regulation difficulties and cannot keep a job or stay in school.
Isn’t DBT just a class?
No. DBT is a multi-component treatment consisting of individual therapy once a week, skills training group once a week, and phone coaching by your individual therapist between sessions.
Can I keep my outside therapist/life coach if I do DBT at your practice?
It depends. Recommendations for comprehensive DBT (individual DBT therapy, skills group, and phone coaching) versus DBT skills group alone with an outside individual therapist are made on a case-by-case basis. If an individual has made a recent suicide attempt or is actively self-injurious, we generally recommend comprehensive DBT. In general, we discourage individuals in comprehensive DBT from participating in concurrent psychological treatments such as EMDR and psychodynamic therapy, in biological treatments such as ECT and TMS, or in life coaching.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Simply complete this form or call us at 212-546-9200.
Please note that the initial appointment does not mark the beginning of therapy at CBT/DBT Associates. Rather, this appointment is designed to give the therapist an in-depth understanding of the problems you would like help with, give you more information about CBT and/or DBT, and to collaboratively determine the appropriate treatment plan for you.
Do you accept insurance?
We are out of network for all insurance plans, but can provide a statement for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Because we provide time-limited and research-based treatment, most clients receive some amount of reimbursement. However, this amount varies per plan.
How important is DBT-Linehan Certification when choosing a DBT therapist?
DBT-Linehan certification is one means to ensure a clinician has the basic minimum knowledge and competence to practice DBT as it was designed to implemented.
Other ways to ascertain this basic level of competence and knowledge are the clinician’s clinical trainings in DBT with Behavioral Tech or other reputable training bodies, as well as length of time consulting with a DBT expert, and years in clinical practice.
DBT certification unfortunately does not indicate mastery of cognitive behavioral therapy or the ability to treat many of the co-occurring problems that people with BPD have. For example, many people with BPD have other psychological problems such as generalized anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder that require expertise in cognitive and behavioral therapy to treat. Expertise in these areas is denoted by certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy.
What is your cancellation and rescheduling policy?
CBT/DBT Associates has a 48-hour cancellation and reschedule policy for all individual and group appointments.
Can I stay on psychotropic medication if I do CBT or DBT?
Medication and CBT/DBT are not mutually exclusive. Many clients are on medication while receiving treatment at our practice.
Do CBT and DBT treat underlying issues?
Yes. Both CBT and DBT are designed to treat patterns of thinking, behavior, and emotional responding that cause distress.
FAQs for Referring Clinicians
Is DBT appropriate for my client?
Our program was designed by Dr. Napolitano specifically for high-functioning people who are maintaining full-time work or school schedules. Dr. Napolitano believes that people who work full-time or are in school full-time may still have difficulties with emotion regulation and can benefit from DBT. Our groups are in the evening to accommodate work and school schedules. Our program is not appropriate for individuals who have little behavioral control as a result of emotion regulation difficulties and cannot keep a job or stay in school.
Can I continue to see my client for treatment while they are in your program?
It depends. Recommendations for comprehensive DBT (individual DBT therapy, skills group, and phone coaching) versus DBT skills group alone with an outside individual therapist are made on a case-by-case basis. If an individual has made a recent suicide attempt or is actively self-injurious, we generally recommend comprehensive DBT. In general, we discourage individuals in CBT and comprehensive DBT from participating in concurrent psychological treatments such as EMDR and psychodynamic therapy, in biological treatments such as ECT and TMS, or in life coaching.
How do I refer a patient?
For adult clients (18 and over) simply have them call us at 646-663-5148 to schedule a 1-hour intake appointment. Please make sure they know whether you’re referring them for CBT or DBT, individual and/or group therapy, and, if applicable, the name of the specific clinician to which you’re referring. We also welcome general referrals and are happy to walk them through which of our offerings and clinicians are best suited to their needs.
For children and adolescent clients (under 18), have their parent or legal guardian call us at 646-663-5148 to schedule an intake appointment. Child and adolescent intake appointments include a one-hour session with a parent and therapist, and a one-hour session with the child/adolescent and therapist. These appointments can be scheduled separately or back-to-back to accommodate families’ schedules. From there, an appropriate treatment plan will be determined.
Are there any criteria which exclude my client from treatment at CBT/DBT Associates?
We do not accept clients who:
- Are fulfilling a court mandate
- Have been diagnosed with psychosis or antisocial personality disorder
- Have a history of violence
- Are on disability or medical leave
- Require day treatment