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Core Services

DBT in Portland, Maine

Practical skills for emotions that feel unmanageable — taught within individual therapy and our structured day programs.

Bishop Health offers DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skills work in South Portland — a structured form of talk therapy that teaches practical skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Sessions are delivered by trained therapists, most insurance and MaineCare are accepted, and new clients are typically seen within one to two weeks.

Accepting new DBT clients now
Typical first appointment: 1–2 weeks from your call Call (888) 280-2585

Who It Helps

People whose emotions feel bigger and faster than the situation calls for
Anyone caught in repeating cycles of conflict in close relationships
People who want concrete skills rather than open-ended talk alone
Patients whose provider has recommended structured skills work

What to Expect

1Skills taught in four areas — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness
2Practice between sessions — skills are learned by using them, not just hearing them
3Skills work inside individual therapy, or group-based practice within PHP and IOP
4Regular review of what's working, with your input

Session Logistics

Format: DBT-informed individual sessions; group skills practice runs within PHP and IOP

Cadence: usually weekly to start, reviewed with your therapist

Telehealth: individual skills sessions can be video, anywhere in Maine

Where DBT Skills Are Often Used

DepressionAnxietyPTSD & TraumaBipolar Disorder

DBT Questions, Answered

What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a structured, skills-focused form of talk therapy. It teaches concrete skills in four areas — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — and emphasizes practicing those skills between sessions.

Who is DBT for?

It was developed for people whose emotions run intense and fast, and it has since been applied much more broadly. Whether DBT skills fit your situation is part of the first evaluation — not something you have to figure out before calling.

Is this a full DBT program?

Our clinicians deliver DBT-informed individual therapy and skills work, with group-based skills practice available through our PHP and IOP day programs. Call and we'll be straightforward about whether the structure you need is the structure we have.

What does practicing between sessions mean?

Skills only help if they're usable mid-argument or mid-spiral, so your therapist assigns real-world practice — brief, specific, and reviewed together at the next session. It's coached practice, not homework for its own sake.

Can DBT run alongside medication?

Yes — many people do both. Therapy and medication management share one record here, and your therapist and psychiatric provider coordinate directly.