Testimonials

People often say that BPD is untreatable or incurable, but my experience with DBT UK proved otherwise.

Before starting DBT, I had spent almost a decade trying to get better through different forms of talking therapy and countless psychiatric medications, yet I still felt trapped in destructive cycles that were taking over my life. I struggled with self-harm, substance misuse, difficulties around sex and food, and eventually reached a point of suicidality. By the time I found DBT UK, I was deeply sceptical that a skills-based therapy could make any real difference. I could not have been more wrong.

Completing the full DBT programme – and then committing to a second round – genuinely changed my life. It wasn’t easy, and it required a huge amount of work and commitment on my part too, but it gave me the tools to build a life that finally felt worth living. Today, I no longer engage in life-threatening behaviours, my relationships with family and friends have transformed, and my quality of life is beyond anything I once thought possible. I even returned to university to complete the degree that my mental health had once prevented me from finishing.

Of course, I am human and life still has its challenges, but I no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for BPD. I am in remission and no longer take psychiatric medication. DBT UK did not just help me survive – they helped me build a future I genuinely want to be part of. I will always be profoundly grateful for that.

~ LB

DBT UK provided an excellent service throughout, from initial contact to the final group session. After leaving the Nightingale Hospital in July last year, I was advised that DBT would be the most appropriate ongoing treatment. Although DBT was offered through the hospital on an outpatient basis, accessing clear information proved difficult, and it appeared that skills training would be delivered by the same therapists I had already been working with intensively as an inpatient.

I therefore researched several alternative providers, and the clarity and depth of information on the DBT UK website stood out immediately – particularly the detail about the therapists and their specific focus on DBT. The flexibility of the service was also very appealing, as was the option of family groups. I was very aware of the impact my difficulties had on my husband, and it felt important that he might also have access to support and guidance.

I found Alex, Marta and Rivka to be exceptional: practical, personable, highly skilled and empathetic, while maintaining a strong and consistent focus on skills development. The structured, skills-based approach of DBT is very different from any therapy I have previously experienced, and their clear emphasis on learning and applying these skills was essential.

I did not always look forward to sessions, particularly in the early stages, when I sometimes felt resistant or under scrutiny. However, this shifted significantly over time, and there were many occasions when I felt genuinely empowered by both individual and group sessions. That progression is a testament to the therapists’ skill and approach.

On a practical level, the administrative side of the service – including invoicing and communication – was consistently excellent.

It has been genuinely transformative.

When I reached a point where hospitalisation was inevitable, I initially viewed it as an isolated crisis. During my stay, I began to understand that these difficulties had been present throughout my life, and that I had been relying on various strategies simply to manage them. DBT has helped me recognise the depth of that impact and, importantly, that it does not have to continue in the same way.

I remember being told in the first week that “pain is inevitable; suffering is a choice.” I now fully understand what that means.

I still experience fluctuations in my emotions, but I now have both the awareness and the skills to manage them effectively. What once felt overwhelming and all-consuming now feels more like small ripples that come and go, rather than waves that disrupt everything for days or weeks.

Looking back at my early diary cards is striking; the intensity and frequency of the impulses I experienced then feel almost unrecognisable now.

I fully accept that this is an ongoing process. Like radical acceptance, it requires consistent, daily practice, and I do not expect to ever feel that I have “completed” it. However, I do feel that I am continuing to change and develop as a result of this work.

I feel calmer, more resilient, and better equipped to manage my emotions. They no longer control me. After 60 years of suffering, that is an enormous relief.

~ RG

DBT has enabled me to live a life I never thought possible. I now have the skills I need to regulate my emotions when in distress and in day-to-day life. I no longer engage in dangerous behaviours, and I have been able to maintain and grow new relationships.

Anyone who suffers with suicidal thoughts or self-harm would benefit from this therapy. I am so glad I am no longer a slave to my urges or my inability to cope. I now work full-time and look after my family – something I never saw happening. I have self-esteem and confidence, and I am achieving things personally and professionally that once seemed impossible.

~ AC

Our daughter was in a very dark place and was really struggling both at school and at home. Darryl and Katie, we believe, have literally saved her life.

The parenting course was exceptionally useful. My husband and I didn’t know how to support our daughter with her struggles, and we were also struggling as a couple, as well as with our own emotional wellbeing, while trying to cope with our daughter’s feelings and behaviours.

The course helped us feel equipped and empowered to support her. Having the same approach allowed us to come together as a team, discuss our responses, and support each other in supporting our daughter. We learnt so much from the course, both for ourselves personally and in how to support her. It was literally enlightening.

Darryl, and subsequently Katie in 1:1 sessions combined with group sessions, have equipped our daughter with the skills to manage day-to-day life. We actually cannot put into words how incredible they are. Their dedication to supporting our daughter, and how much it has helped her, is like night and day. We owe them so much and we are truly grateful.

~ JS & MS

Melissa is a fantastic therapist. Over the course of two years, she provided me with stability, consistency and a trusting, safe space in which I could express my fears and insecurities without ever feeling like a burden. Melissa knew when I simply needed to vent, when to push me, and how to gently and kindly challenge me when I was being self-critical and defeatist. She helped me not only to understand my own values, needs and hopes for the future, but empowered me to take control of my emotions and behaviour, creating the change I needed to live a happy and fulfilling life.

Although I looked at some skills with scepticism at times, the decision to make a commitment to myself and my mental health, to practise willingness and to try my best throughout the programme, has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I truly believe in this therapy and could not have imagined the impact DBT UK would have on my life. I have recently made the decision to train in DBT and will continue to use these skills in both my personal and professional life.

Melissa has been an integral part of my DBT journey, through 1:1 sessions, group and DBT-PE. Alongside following the DBT programme for 18 months, I have learned so much about self-compassion and sitting with my emotions, both positive and negative. I cannot imagine where I would be now without finding Melissa and the fantastic other staff at DBT UK, but I can now proudly say I am a psychology graduate with more stable mental health who is at the start of her career as a psychologist. I know that life is difficult, and I know that with my DBT skills I will be able to handle it.

To Melissa and all others who have supported me through this journey: thank you. It has been truly life-changing.

~ BH

DBT has been a life-changing experience for me. When I was in crisis, I first met Darryl, who invited me to join his group. I didn’t believe that any therapy would ever help me, but I was wrong. I have been participating for almost two years, and I am now medication free because I have the skills to help me with everyday life. I have more energy and I am so much happier than I ever thought I could be.

My advice to anyone thinking about joining would be to stick at it, no matter what thoughts you have, and work extremely hard. If you practise these skills, they will become second nature.

~ OH

DBT has changed my whole outlook on my emotions. I now see how helpful they can be. Being able to identify emotions, figure out whether they fit the situation, and learn skills to regulate them has been invaluable, and has made life much more manageable.

Before DBT, everything felt blurry and unpredictable. Now life feels more structured, pragmatic and enjoyable. The interpersonal skills have also made my relationships easier to maintain.

I am very grateful to DBT UK, and especially thankful to my 1:1 therapist, Claire, who has been an amazing support over the course of my therapy.

~ AR

Our son has made tremendous progress, although it is still early days of course. I would like to thank you for the wonderful programme you have established, and for finding him a therapist as qualified as Jackie so quickly when we first reached out to you last December, when he was doing so poorly and we were so worried about him.

Jackie’s guidance, extensive knowledge and expertise have been life-changing for him, as have the tools and strategies your programme has taught him. He has been, and will hopefully continue to be, diligent in practising these skills to help him self-regulate and navigate life and its many challenges.

He is committed to his healing journey and very grateful for the excellent therapeutic support you have provided. I will highly recommend your programme to others.

~ LM

My group facilitator’s explanations of the DBT skills are extremely helpful. I found looking at the book by itself, without any explanations from Alex, very challenging. However, once we had covered a skill in session and he had given his own insights into it, I found the skills much easier to understand and extremely interesting.

I now understand my emotions and feel much more in control of them. It has made me feel more connected to myself, as well as to my family, as I share what I learn with them each week. It has helped them understand my needs better. DBT has completely changed my outlook on my mental health, and I feel I have matured and become a much stronger person because of it.

~ ML

Janette, even though we only had four sessions together, it felt as though I had known you for much longer. In such a short period of time, you showed me a level of care and kindness that many people do not experience even from those they have known for a lifetime. During this phase of my life, the universe has blessed me with many loving and supportive people, and you are certainly one of them. I will always be grateful for the support you gave me when I needed it most.

Dr Emma, you have played such a significant role in helping me reach where I am today. You have helped me find clarity and supported me through some of the most difficult moments of my life. That consistency and understanding have meant a great deal to me.

Darryl, the 15th of October 2020 may have looked like an ordinary day to the outside world, but for me it was the day everything began to change.

That was the day I walked into my first therapy session. I didn’t fully understand at the time what I was beginning. I only knew that something inside me needed to shift. I was tired of living in confusion, tired of questioning my own feelings, and tired of carrying emotional weight that no one else could see.

What I didn’t realise then was that the decision to sit in that chair and speak honestly about my life would quietly become one of the most important decisions I would ever make.

Healing did not happen overnight. It came slowly, sometimes painfully, through moments of reflection, awareness and courage. There were times when I had to confront difficult truths about my relationships, my boundaries and the ways I had learned to silence my own voice.

But step by step, something began to change. Clarity replaced confusion. Strength replaced fear. Slowly, I began to find my way back to myself.

Through this journey, I became the woman standing here today: a grounded woman. Not a perfect woman. Not a woman trying to prove anything to anyone, but a woman who has learned to make decisions from a place of clarity, self-respect and truth.

Looking back now, I realise that day in October was not just the beginning of therapy. It was the beginning of a different life.

~ MW