To make a long story (sort of) short.  In the summer I went into a partial hospitalization program and then a step down to an intensive outpatient program.  I've had the same psychiatrist for about 10 years and over the years of mildly or unsuccessful treatment and me pretty much going off the deep end, BPD was diagnosed.  At the time I had a therapist who wasn't doing DBT, and she was unreliable, I knew I needed DBT and I needed weekly.  PHP wanted me to have appointments with my psych AND a therapist when I was discharged from that program.  My insurance doesn't contract with anyone who provides DBT around here, but I wanted to get the right therapy, I'm sick of this- I've been struggling for at least 20 years.

I called around to a few places, mainly targeting places that did both individual therapy and skills group- from what I understand that is the best.  I didn't hear back from one clinic, but did get an intake with another therapist.  The problem is, she didn't have an adult DBT group running.  I was kind of pressed for time, so I went on with the intake and she was actually incredibly helpful in helping me find a skills group outside of her practice- it happened to be with that clinic I didn't hear back from.

My individual therapist and I had to sign agreements stating I would stay in individual therapy as long as I was in DBT skills group.  We also had to agree that the team conferences wouldn't really happen for me because they were different practicies, however either provider could communicate with the other (with my consent) to collaborate if some kind of situation arose.

I'm now wondering if this is the right set up for me.  I am assuming the other skills group members also receive their individual therapy from the same clinic.  I don't know if that would be more effective?  My therapist right now is really sweet, she is very validating and she sometimes has me expand on my thoughts.  She doesn't often go into my past or go really concrete into skils.  I know that's what skills group is for, but I think I could be doing more work between sessions?  I don't know.  Of course I would feel guilty to leave her because- BPD.  I of course have the abiity to do coaching calls, but most of the time it's not like a real crisis- I feel like that doesn't warrant a coaching call.

I do skills group on Tuesday and then do individual therapy later in the week.  I feel skillful for a couple of days around skills group, but then not so much the rest of the time, I get emotional easily and don't know what to do, plus it seems on the weekend when everyone is home from work and school- it's a bit more challenging.

So what am I supposed to be getting from individual therapy?  Does is make more sense to be at a group that provides the total DBT model in one place?