Sometimes. Psychiatrists (MDs) often charge more than licensed therapists. Among therapists, rates vary more by experience, location, and specialization than by credential type (LCSW vs. LPC vs. LMFT). There's no universal pricing based on credential letters.

Anger is the emotion. Aggression is the behavior. You can feel angry without being aggressive. Therapy helps separate the two so you can have a level headed response to intense emotions as anger arises.

Trauma therapy alone is an option and is effective for many people without medication. Many people address trauma and PTSD through a combination of online individual therapy and online group therapy at the level that feels right for their needs, or through a virtual intensive outpatient program that is focused on trauma treatment. So the type of therapy done and the intensity can vary. You should work with your therapist and or psychiatrist to determine the best approach for your situation and preferences.

Lack of motivation is a depression symptom, not a barrier to treatment. The therapist doesn't expect you to feel motivated from the start and therapy works with you exactly where you are. You can attend sessions with low energy and no motivation and the therapist helps you take small actions anyway incrementally. Over time, activity increases, mood improves, and motivation returns. It can be hard work initially, but it’s worth it.

Self-harm and suicidal behaviors are prominent BPD symptoms DBT specifically addresses. DBT specifically targets these and they're the priority. Treatment includes a crisis plan for urges, commitment to life and treatment, and processing what triggers these behaviors. DBT approaches safety differently than other therapy in that it doesn't hospitalize automatically for suicidal thoughts unless there’s imminent danger, treats self-harm as a behavior to decrease not an emergency requiring hospitalization every time, expects you to use skills during urges, and maintains the therapy relationship even through self-destructive behaviors. Boundaries exist and imminent safety risk requires hospitalization and repeated therapy-interfering behaviors are addressed directly. This approach empowers you to manage urges rather than relying on external control. Most people significantly reduce self-harm and suicidal behaviors within 6-12 months of DBT.

The goal is to build a life worth living and have skills to manage whatever life throws at you. Some people do DBT intensively for a year or two, stabilize, and then don't need ongoing therapy, they just use skills as needed. Others continue using DBT skills long-term as life tools and do DBT therapy as ongoing maintenance. There's no rule about how long you should use skills. Many people find DBT skills become automatic after enough practice—they're not consciously thinking "I'm using opposite action" anymore, they just do it. You don't graduate from needing emotional regulation skills. They're just useful life skills. Whether you need ongoing therapy support or can maintain skills independently varies by person and circumstances.

Distress tolerance is for crisis, when emotions are already at 10/10 and you just need to survive without making things worse. You're not trying to fix anything, you're riding out the crisis wave. Emotion regulation is for everyday emotional management, reducing how often you hit crisis level, changing emotions that don't fit the situation, and decreasing emotional suffering generally. Think of distress tolerance as emergency skills and emotion regulation as preventive maintenance. You use distress tolerance when you're already overwhelmed, you use emotion regulation to avoid getting that overwhelmed in the first place.

The program covers a year's worth of curriculum, so some may be review and other material will be new. Even skills you've heard of before might be taught in more depth than you've previously done. You can still benefit from the program for refreshing and deepening skills you learned before, gaining skills you didn't cover before, and learning additional insights and applications. If you've had partial DBT background, the program provides what you're likely missing. Even if you have an extensive DBT background, DBT skills require ongoing practice and periodic review to maintain effectiveness. So, many people do the self guided DBT program at various different levels of background in DBT so they can have a thorough program to go through and practice skills at their own pace.

DBT teaches four skill sets but within each of these skill sets there are many specific skills that pertain to that overarching concept. Mindfulness - being present in the current moment without judgment and observing thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them. Distress Tolerance - surviving crisis situations without making things worse, managing intense emotions without destructive behaviors, and accepting reality when you can't change it immediately. Emotion Regulation - understanding and naming emotions, managing vulnerability to negative moods and being able to handle the intensity of those feelings as they fluctuate. Interpersonal Effectiveness - getting your needs met in relationships while maintaining self-respect and avoiding destructive behaviors like lashing out, rage, and detachment. For each topic there are plenty of skills to learn to help you master each of those areas.

Add therapy. Many people find the DBT self guided program tremendously helpful to master DBT skills at their own pace, but if you feel like you need additional personal guidance or help to establish accountability then its common to add a DBT skills group or online individual therapy with a DBT specialist. Through our platform, you can see a DBT therapist for personalized support in both individual sessions or online group therapy while using the self-guided program for structure. Some people are excellent self-teachers and learners on their own time, whereas others need external feedback. Neither is wrong, and it's important to match the learning format to what fits your needs best.