DBT Programme

DBT UK offers a comprehensive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programme for people experiencing emotional dysregulation, impulsive or self-destructive behaviours, relationship difficulties, and patterns that interfere with building a life worth living.

The programme combines DBT skills training, individual therapy where appropriate, and between-session phone coaching for clients accessing the full package. It is structured, practical, and skills-focused, while also offering the support, challenge, and accountability needed for meaningful change.

Assessment and Getting Started

Before joining the DBT programme, clients complete an initial assessment with an experienced member of the DBT UK clinical team.

The assessment gives us a chance to understand what has been going on for you, what kind of support you are looking for, and whether our DBT programme is likely to be the right fit at this stage. We will ask about your current difficulties and other relevant background information. You may also be asked to complete some questionnaires as part of this process.

The assessment is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about DBT, the structure of the programme, and what would be expected if you decide to continue. Following the assessment, our clinical team will consider whether DBT UK is the most appropriate service for you, or whether another form of support may be better suited to your needs.

Family & Partners DBT Support Group

Supporting someone who experiences emotional dysregulation can be incredibly

challenging. It can be painful, confusing, and exhausting to watch someone you care about struggle with intense emotions, impulsive behaviours, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, relationship difficulties, or repeated crises.

Our Family & Partners DBT Support Group provides a structured and supportive space for family members, partners, and loved ones to better understand emotional dysregulation and learn DBT-informed strategies that can strengthen relationships, reduce conflict, and support family wellbeing.

Adolescent DBT Programme

DBT UK offers a structured Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programme for adolescents who experience emotional dysregulation, impulsive or risky behaviours, self-harm or urges to self-harm, relationship difficulties, anxiety, low mood, or emotional overwhelm.

DBT is a skills-based therapy that helps young people understand and manage their emotions more effectively. Rather than responding to overwhelming emotions through harmful or unhelpful behaviours, DBT teaches practical strategies that support healthier coping, improved relationships, and greater emotional stability.

The adolescent programme combines weekly DBT skills group sessions with optional individual therapy and phone coaching. The group is psychoeducational rather than process-based, meaning the focus is on learning and practising concrete skills that can be applied in everyday life.

Who May Beneflt

Adolescents may benefit from DBT if they struggle with:

• intense or rapidly changing emotions  impulsive or risky behaviours
• self-harm or urges to self-harm  suicidal thoughts or behaviours  conflict in relationships
• anxiety, low mood, or emotional overwhelm  difficulty coping with stress or distress
• DBT was originally developed to support people with high levels of emotional dysregulation and is now used to help with a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties.

RO-DBT Programme

Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, known as RO-DBT, is an evidence-based treatment for emotional overcontrol.

While standard DBT is often used to support people who experience intense, rapidly shifting emotions and impulsive behaviours, RO-DBT is designed for people who tend to internalise distress, appear highly controlled, and may feel lonely or disconnected despite outward competence.

RO-DBT helps clients develop greater flexibility, openness, emotional expression, and social connection by addressing patterns such as excessive self-control, emotional inhibition, rigid thinking, perfectionism, and difficulty expressing vulnerability.

Who RO-DBT May Help

RO-DBT may be helpful for people who experience:

• high-achieving perfectionism
• chronic or high-functioning depression
• emotional loneliness or difficulty forming close relationships  rigid or rule-bound behaviour
• overcontrol linked to autistic or neurodivergent traits  restrictive eating patterns
• difficulty expressing emotions or vulnerability