Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured, skills-based approach that teaches you to tolerate distress, regulate emotions and build a life that feels worth living. At Silver Lining Recovery in Huntington Beach, DBT is woven into every level of outpatient care, whether you are working through addiction, trauma or a co-occurring mental health condition.
Emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation
Six months to a year
Individual sessions plus group skills training
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an evidence-based form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, developed in the late 1980s to help people who experience intense emotional swings, self-destructive behaviors and chronic interpersonal difficulties. The word dialectical refers to the core tension DBT holds in balance: the idea that you are doing the best you can, and that you need to change.
DBT skills training is organized into four interconnected modules, taught in group settings and reinforced in individual therapy. Mindfulness is the foundation, distress tolerance skills use techniques such as TIPP and the ACCEPTS framework to get through moments too intense to problem-solve, interpersonal effectiveness uses scripts such as DEAR MAN, GIVE and FAST, and emotion regulation works to reduce vulnerability to emotional overwhelm.
DBT is most effective when its components work together, so care is delivered in its complete form: individual sessions structured around a diary card, group skills training that typically meets several times a week in PHP and IOP, and between-session coaching for moments of acute distress. DBT is often used alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is a core approach for dual diagnosis conditions, where emotional dysregulation and substance use feed each other.
DBT grew out of CBT and shares its focus on the link between thoughts, feelings and behavior. Where CBT works mainly on changing unhelpful thinking, DBT adds acceptance and the skills to tolerate distress while change happens. Skills are taught in group therapy and reinforced in individual sessions.
DBT works best when structured sessions and group skills training reinforce each other. Both are part of the same treatment plan here, not offered in isolation.
Clients can reach a clinician for support during moments of acute distress, rather than working through a crisis alone.
Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, TriWest/TRICARE, Aetna, Anthem, Health Net and more. Verification is free and takes about two minutes.
A clinician can explain how the four skill modules apply to your situation in about fifteen minutes. Checking your coverage first costs nothing and carries no obligation to enroll.
DBT was designed for people who experience emotions intensely, and whose responses to that intensity have caused problems in their lives.
Intense emotional swings that other therapy approaches have not fully addressed.
Persistent low mood, panic and trauma responses, treated alongside skills training.
Where relapse patterns are tied to emotional triggers as much as to the substance itself.
Boundaries, communication and relationship patterns addressed through structured skills, not just insight.
Concrete tools for moments where reacting quickly has caused harm in the past.
Addressed with appropriate clinical support as part of a structured, monitored treatment plan.
Most virtual outpatient programs are therapy only and send anything medical elsewhere. Ours is run by the same physicians, nurses and clinicians as the Huntington Beach program, over a secure HIPAA-compliant platform.
Which level of care your plan covers depends on your specific benefits and medical necessity. Verification is free, takes about two minutes, and carries no obligation to enroll.
Five steps from the first call to an aftercare plan that sustains the skills you build.
Your first conversation is free and private. We ask what you are going through, explain how DBT fits into our programs, and verify your insurance benefits.
A licensed clinician reviews your substance use history, mental health background, emotional patterns and goals to determine the right level of care and combination of modalities.
If DBT is part of your plan, you receive an orientation to the skills curriculum and the diary card system used to track progress between sessions.
Structured group skills training runs alongside individual sessions, with between-session coaching available for moments of acute distress.
Your care team regularly reviews progress, adjusts targets, and works with you on an aftercare plan that sustains the skills you have built.
Call for a free, confidential assessment. A clinician will explain how DBT fits your treatment plan and which level of care it sits inside.
No single approach or level suits everyone. Most people receive a combination, set at assessment and adjusted as treatment progresses.
Most people receive a combination rather than a single therapy. Your clinician matches approaches to what you are working on, and adjusts as treatment progresses.
| Approach | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Group and individual | Changing the thought patterns that keep symptoms going |
| Dialectical Behavior Therapy | Group and individual | Distress tolerance and emotion regulation when feelings overwhelm |
| EMDR | Individual, eight stages | Processing specific traumatic memories that still carry a charge |
| Trauma-Informed Therapy | The whole program | The framework every session operates in, so care does not re-traumatize |
| Internal Family Systems | Individual | Working with the conflicting parts of yourself that trauma created |
| TMS Therapy | In clinic, alongside your program | Depression that has not responded to medication and therapy |
| Individual Therapy | One-on-one, every level | The private work that group cannot do, with your own clinician |
| Group Therapy | Groups capped at eight | Practicing skills with people doing the same work, in a small room |
| Meditation Therapy | Alongside clinical sessions | Managing stress, cravings and the physical side of anxiety |
| Faith-Based Track | Optional, alongside the same program | Clients who want their faith included, with nothing lost by declining |
Every program here is run by licensed, credentialed clinicians. These are the people you will actually see.
William Sanchez
LMFT
SL
Sarah Litwiller
Primary Therapist, LCSW
CT
Christian Tiedge
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Kendra McCarthy
LVN
Most people receive a combination rather than a single therapy.
Identifying and changing the thought patterns that drive symptoms, often paired with DBT skills work.
Trauma-focused reprocessing for memories that keep resurfacing.
The framework the whole program operates in.
Where emotional dysregulation and substance use are treated as one problem.
"Silver Lining is a great place for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. I’ve been here for both. Every single person from staff to clinicians to ownership all genuinely care and make the time to show they care. Programming is thoughtful, informative, and very engaging. There is much more thought into treating the root cause than the symptom."
"The support and real care they give is unmatched. I can say without any doubt that the people that make up this community have a calling to serve and support those of us trying to heal and find a new way of life. Today I’m over five months clean, I have a career that feeds my energy, and a community of people that help me stay accountable."
"Silver Lining Recovery is a fantastic program for anyone seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse. Barmak and his staff were a delight to work with. Highly recommended."
DBT was originally developed for BPD, but it has since been adapted for a wide range of conditions, including substance use disorders, PTSD, depression, eating disorders and dual-diagnosis presentations. Many people who benefit from DBT do not have a BPD diagnosis at all.
Traditional talk therapy focuses primarily on insight, understanding why you feel or behave a certain way. DBT includes that, but its primary emphasis is skill-building: concrete tools you can use in real life to change emotional and behavioral patterns.
A full DBT program typically runs six months to a year. At Silver Lining Recovery, DBT is integrated into your overall outpatient treatment plan, and the duration depends on your level of care and individual progress.
Yes. DBT skills training is integrated directly into our PHP and IOP programs. You receive both the skills training component and individual DBT-informed sessions as part of the same treatment plan.
Outcomes can vary significantly depending on how DBT was delivered and how fully its components were implemented. If you have had a partial DBT experience, or worked with a therapist who used DBT techniques without the full framework, our clinical team can assess what has been tried before and how we might build on it.
Silver Lining Recovery accepts most major insurance, including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, TriWest/TRICARE, Aetna, Anthem and Health Net. Our admissions team verifies your specific coverage at no cost. Call 866-681-0927 to check your benefits.
Medically Reviewed By
Last reviewed: September 24, 2026
Dr. Atul Grover, MD, is Medical Director at Silver Lining Recovery. He is board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Anesthesiology, trained at UCLA, and is affiliated with Hoag Hospital Newport Beach. He oversees medical care including medication-assisted treatment and co-occurring mental health conditions.
You do not have to pause your life to begin. Call for a free, confidential assessment, or verify your insurance online, and a clinician will explain how DBT fits into your treatment plan.
Medical disclaimer. This page is for general information only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It does not create a provider and patient relationship. Always speak with a qualified health professional about your own situation. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Program hours, session counts and level of care recommendations described here are typical ranges. Your own plan is set by a licensed clinician during assessment. Insurance coverage varies by plan and by medical necessity.
