DBT
DBT therapy in Orange County
Enhance provides the DBT therapy Orange County residents use to manage intense emotions, get through distress, and handle relationships.
(714) 862-19074.9 from 448 Google reviews
Clinically reviewed by Christina Khouie, MA, LMFT, our founder, on September 30, 2026. Enhance is accredited by The Joint Commission and certified by the California Department of Health Care Services.
Check your coverage
Send us three details and we’ll check what your plan covers, then call you back.
How DBT works
What is dialectical behavior therapy?
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches you to accept painful feelings while changing how you respond.
It uses skills training in four areas, so harmful behaviors are replaced with skills you can use in a hard moment.
Marsha Linehan, who developed DBT, described its goal as building a life worth living.
Acceptance
Acceptance means recognizing that your feelings make sense, given what you have lived through. You do not have to be hard on yourself in order to change.
Change
Change means you still practice new ways of responding to those feelings. DBT works on acceptance and change together, which is what the word dialectical refers to.
Some full DBT programs combine a skills group, individual therapy, phone coaching and a therapist consultation team. At Enhance, your therapist teaches DBT skills as part of your treatment.
Where it is used
DBT at each level of care
We teach DBT skills at every level of care we offer in Orange County, and teens with anxiety or ADHD can learn them in outpatient care.
Inpatient
- Where you sleep
- On site, with clinical staff
- How much of your week
- All of it
- Who it suits
- Needs more than a day program
- What usually comes next
- PHP
Partial hospitalization (PHP)
- Where you sleep
- At home
- How much of your week
- Most of each day
- Who it suits
- Can sleep at home safely
- What usually comes next
- IOP
Intensive outpatient (IOP)
- Where you sleep
- At home
- How much of your week
- Part of the week
- Who it suits
- Keeping up work or school
- What usually comes next
- Outpatient
Outpatient
- Where you sleep
- At home
- How much of your week
- Regular sessions
- Who it suits
- Doing well with therapy
- What usually comes next
- Ongoing care
If you are thinking about suicide or are in danger right now, call 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.
In session
The four DBT skill areas
DBT skills training covers four areas, and you practice each one with your DBT therapist at a pace that fits your plan.
- Mindfulness: notice a thought or urge before you act on it.
- Distress tolerance: get through a hard moment without making it worse.
- Emotion regulation: reduce how often intense emotions take over your day.
- Interpersonal effectiveness: ask for what you need and keep the relationship.
DBT may not be the right fit if
- You want open conversation without skills practice.
- You are in danger now and need 988 or an ER.
- Your assessment points to another method, such as EMDR.
If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
What a DBT session looks like
Your therapist teaches DBT skills inside your treatment plan, and you practice them in several parts of your care.
Individual therapy
One-to-one sessions with a licensed therapist, where you apply DBT skills to the problems in your own week.
Group therapy
Groups led by a licensed therapist, where you practice skills with other people and hear how they use them.
Family therapy
Sessions with family members when involving them would help, so they understand the skills and relationships you are working on.
Medication management
A licensed psychiatrist prescribes medication when it is part of your plan, and DBT skills work continues alongside it.
Dual diagnosis care
If you also use alcohol or drugs, DBT skills are part of one plan that treats both conditions together.
Teen outpatient care
Teens with anxiety or ADHD can learn DBT skills in our online outpatient care.
Who it is for
Conditions DBT is used with
Marsha Linehan first developed DBT for borderline personality disorder, and we use it for other mental health conditions too.
What happens when you call
See what happens when you call admissions or send us the form.
You call, or send the form
You tell admissions what is happening and whether you think DBT might fit.
We check your benefits
With your permission, we contact your insurer and find out what your plan covers.
You hear what it means
Admissions explains your deductible, your copay and which level of care your plan supports, in plain terms.
You decide
If you want to go ahead, admissions walks you through what happens next.
Benefits vary from plan to plan, and checking them does not guarantee coverage.
(714) 862-1907Cost and coverage
Does insurance pay for DBT?
What you pay depends on your deductible, your copay and the level your insurer approves. Admissions checks your benefits with the insurer and tells you the figures before you decide anything.
We're in network with most insurance plans. If your plan isn't listed, call us and we'll check it for you.
Some plans we accept
- Ambetter
- MHN
- CalPERS
- Covered California
Common questions about dialectical behavior therapy
If your question is not answered here, call admissions at (714) 862-1907.
What is DBT in simple terms?
DBT teaches you to accept how you feel while you learn skills to respond differently, especially when emotions are intense.
What is the 24-hour rule in DBT?
Some full DBT programs ask clients not to contact their therapist for coaching in the 24 hours after self-harm. That rule belongs to those programs, and it is never a reason to wait before calling 988 or going to the nearest emergency room.
Who is DBT not for?
DBT may not fit if you do not want to practice skills, or if trauma memories need a different method. If you are in danger right now, call 988 instead of waiting for a therapy session.
Do I need a borderline personality disorder diagnosis to benefit from DBT?
No. DBT began with borderline personality disorder, and we now teach its skills to people with depression, eating disorders, trauma and substance use.
How is a session different from CBT?
CBT usually focuses on changing thoughts. DBT spends more time on urges and relationships, and it works on acceptance and change in the same session. Many people use both during treatment.
Can DBT help with self-harm or suicidal thoughts?
DBT was first built for people living with self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and it teaches skills for those moments. If you are in danger now, call 988.
What is distress tolerance?
Distress tolerance is a set of skills for getting through a crisis without harmful behaviors, such as slowing your breathing or cooling your face with cold water.
What is a DBT diary card?
A diary card is a daily log of your urges, your emotions and the skills you used. Some DBT therapists review it to choose what to work on next.
What is the difference between a skills group and individual DBT therapy?
A skills group teaches the skills to several people at once, while individual therapy applies them to your own emotional pain and relationships.
How long does DBT take?
It depends on your needs and your level of care. Some full DBT programs last many months, and your therapist plans the pace of skills work with you.
Can DBT be combined with medication?
Yes. A licensed psychiatrist manages any medication in your plan, and your therapist teaches DBT skills alongside it.
Is DBT used for teens?
Yes. Teens with anxiety or ADHD can learn DBT skills in our outpatient care, and a parent can be involved in the plan.
Do you offer phone coaching between sessions?
Your therapist decides with you whether and how you can reach them between sessions. In a crisis, call 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Does insurance cover DBT?
DBT is billed as therapy within your level of care. Our admissions team checks whether your plan covers that level and explains your deductible and copay.
Ask admissions about DBT
Tell our admissions team in Orange County about the emotion or behavior that is hardest for you to manage. They will explain whether DBT skills should be part of your plan.
Enhance Health Group14742 Newport Ave STE 208, Tustin, CA 92780