Business Details
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Services in Lawrence & Kansas City
At DBT Center Of Lawrence & Kansas City, we specialize in delivering Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help individuals navigate emotional challenges and build meaningful lives. Founded by a team of experienced clinicians, our practice adheres to the evidence-based DBT model developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, ensuring treatment fidelity and client outcomes. We serve adolescents and adults through comprehensive services including weekly individual therapy, skills training groups, and phone coaching. Our approach emphasizes vulnerability, perseverance, and compassion in therapeutic relationships to foster self-empowerment. With locations in Lawrence and Kansas City, we offer flexible scheduling, including hybrid and virtual group options.Our clinicians are licensed professionals trained in trauma-informed care and specialized DBT techniques. We prioritize accessibility by maintaining transparent communication channels and providing resources like downloadable diary cards and client forms. While we do not offer crisis intervention, our team collaborates with emergency services to ensure client safety. Our one-year program commitment reflects our dedication to long-term behavioral change and emotional resilience. Through structured treatment hierarchies, we address suicidal behaviors first, followed by therapy-interfering patterns and quality-of-life issues, ultimately helping clients create lives aligned with their values.
Services
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Individual Therapy
Group Sessions
Phone Coaching
Adolescent Program
Highlights and features
- Specialized DBT team with trauma-informed training
- Maintains treatment fidelity to Dr. Linehan's DBT model
- Offers hybrid/virtual group therapy options
- Structured one-year program for sustained behavioral change
- Licensed clinicians with adolescent and adult expertise
Services
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Our evidence-based DBT program addresses emotional regulation challenges through four core modules: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Clients engage in weekly individual therapy and skills groups to develop sustainable coping strategies. The structured one-year commitment fosters lasting behavioral change and self-empowerment for adolescents and adults.
Individual Therapy
Weekly 50-minute sessions with licensed clinicians focus on personalized treatment goals using DBT frameworks. Therapists address specific challenges like suicidal ideation, self-harm patterns, or relationship conflicts while maintaining treatment fidelity. Sessions incorporate phone coaching support between appointments to reinforce skill application in real-life situations.
Group Sessions
Structured 2-hour weekly groups teach practical skills for emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Offered in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats, these sessions accommodate diverse schedules. Clinicians facilitate interactive learning through role-playing and homework review to help clients practice mindfulness techniques and crisis management strategies in a supportive environment.
Phone Coaching
Clients receive unlimited access to DBT clinicians for real-time guidance during emotional crises. This service helps apply therapeutic skills to immediate challenges, preventing harmful behaviors. Coaching calls focus on distress tolerance techniques and reinforcing positive coping mechanisms through brief, goal-oriented interactions with the treatment team.
Adolescent Program
Specialized DBT for ages 13-17 includes family involvement and age-appropriate skill development. The program addresses self-esteem issues, peer relationship challenges, and emotional dysregulation through structured sessions. Parents participate in intake processes while teens engage in weekly groups and individual therapy to build resilience and healthy coping patterns.
People
Beth Chao
LSCSW
Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker with expertise in trauma-informed DBT interventions for adults and adolescents.
Lydia Lequesne
LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor facilitating hybrid and virtual DBT groups with focus on emotional regulation techniques.
Rachel Kostura Polk
LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor specializing in adolescent DBT programs and individual therapy sessions.
Merrill Evans
LSCSW
Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker delivering in-person adolescent DBT groups and adult therapy sessions.
Jane Spencer
LMLP-T
Licensed Mental Health Professional providing virtual adolescent DBT groups and supporting clients through skill-building exercises.
Questions
What mental health conditions do you treat?
We specialize in treating emotional regulation difficulties, self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation, and related challenges using DBT frameworks for adolescents and adults.
Do you offer virtual therapy options?
Yes, we provide hybrid and fully virtual group sessions, with individual therapy available in-person and through telehealth platforms.
What is your crisis intervention policy?
We do not provide crisis services. In emergencies, clients should call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department for immediate assistance.
How long does treatment typically last?
Our DBT program requires a one-year commitment to ensure comprehensive skill development and sustainable behavioral changes through structured treatment phases.
Can parents schedule teen appointments?
Parents may submit contact information for children under 18, but individuals aged 13-17 must complete their own forms with parental consent.
What payment methods do you accept?
Please contact our billing department directly for payment details, as this information wasn't specified in our public documentation.
Reviews (3)
Elise Goubet
Feb 19, 2021
Report
This is a phenomenal team of therapists. I know many of them (Lyida, Juliet, Killian, Beth, Rachel, Brynne) from their time at Bert Nash when I was in the IOP program there. They were some of my favorites from that time and really embody everything that they teach. I have done RO DBT at this center and it was incredibly helpful. Juliet and Killian were the leaders of the group I attended and they actually used real world examples of their own which is not something all therapists are comfortable doing. I could tell that they actually were doing RO DBT themselves too in their own lives which was
Lauren Comella
Nov 27, 2020
Report
Empathetic and understanding staff willing to work with my schedule. I am able to speak with someone if something anxiety provoking pops up (as things in life do) who will help me navigate through. I found their DBT RO program very helpful. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to start their own mental health journey.
Gloria Windholz
Nov 20, 2019
Report
I have tried to get an appointment for a month, and no one has returned my calls. BYRNNE Sent me an email.....saying she would get a hold of me in a few days.....but that never happened. And I contacted the main office again, nothing. Kind of scary action from a place that says they care about someones mental health. Shame on them. RESPONSE TO OWNER I have all the documentation proving that what you stated in not true. I called Bert Nash 8am Monday. Left a message. 20 minutes later, received a call back by 1:00. The SAME DAY I was in their office having my assessment completed. Incredibly nice
