DBT was built for adults. Marsha Linehan developed it in the 1980s for women who were chronically suicidal and had been failed by other treatments, and it is still one of the best-tested treatments for self-harm, suicidal urges and borderline personality disorder.¹ ² If you are an adult looking for it in the Bay Area, this page lists every adult program we could verify, with the insurance each one takes.
The short answer: we found 19 Bay Area programs with DBT for adults or young adults, not counting Kaiser. Most private DBT groups do not bill insurance: you pay $85 to $150 a group and claim it back with a superbill. The exceptions are hospital programs (Stanford, John Muir, Providence), South Bay DBT (Lyra) and Kaiser itself. The cheapest group is $12 a session at the Wright Institute's Berkeley training clinic.
Before you call: full DBT or a skills group?
Full ("comprehensive") DBT means four things together: weekly individual therapy, a weekly skills group, phone coaching between sessions, and a consultation team for your therapist.³ A skills group on its own teaches the skills (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness) but is not the whole treatment. A 2015 trial found that DBT with skills training worked better than DBT without it, so the group is not optional extra.⁴
- If self-harm or suicidal urges are part of the picture, ask for comprehensive DBT.
- If you already have a therapist you like, many groups below take you for the skills group alone.
The printable program check → · What DBT is, and what it isn't →
How a program is listed: an office in the nine Bay Area counties (or a Bay Area program running telehealth groups for Californians), and its own website describes DBT for adults or young adults: a skills group, a comprehensive program, or a DBT-based IOP or PHP. Read on November 13, 2026, with insurance read from each program's own insurance or fees pages. Program names link to the program's own page. No one paid or was asked; a listing is not a recommendation. Rows are alphabetical within each region.
Insurance at a glance
| If you have… | Programs that say they take it for adult DBT |
|---|---|
| Kaiser | Kaiser's own DBT programs (below). John Muir's Behavioral Health Center (Concord) and Providence Santa Rosa list Kaiser. Stanford does not see patients using Kaiser insurance |
| Medicare | Stanford Adult DBT, John Muir Behavioral Health, Providence Santa Rosa |
| Medi-Cal | No adult program here publishes a Medi-Cal contract for DBT. John Muir's Concord center lists Contra Costa Health Plan; Providence lists Partnership HealthPlan. Start with your county's access line |
| Blue Shield of California | John Muir Behavioral Health. The Wise Mind Institute takes it for individual therapy only, not groups |
| Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna | John Muir Behavioral Health (most products). Stanford's clinic lists Aetna and Blue Cross |
| Lyra (through your employer) | South Bay DBT |
| A PPO with out-of-network benefits | Nearly every private practice below gives a superbill you can submit for partial reimbursement |
| No insurance | Wright Institute ($12 a group); sliding scale at Oakland DBT and Mindfulness Center and Pacific DBT; a lower-fee group at Bay Area Mental Health |
Always confirm with the program and your plan: insurance lists change, and some pages disagree with each other (noted below).
South Bay (Santa Clara County)
| Program | DBT for adults | Cost | Insurance, as published | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awake DBT — 750-B Camden Ave, Campbell. DBT-LBC certified program | Comprehensive DBT for adults and young adults; in person or virtual | Not published | "Out-of-network"; private pay; monthly superbill | (408) 479-4632 |
| Bay Area Mental Health — 1925 Winchester Blvd #204, Campbell | Adult skills group in four modules, Mondays 6–8 pm (a lower-fee group Tuesdays); groups online for Californians | $105 per 2-hour group; intake $225 ($300 DBT intake) | "We are an out of network provider"; can submit claims as a courtesy | 408-508-3611. Usual wait three to six weeks |
| DBT Center of Silicon Valley — 1570 The Alameda, San Jose. DBT-LBC certified program | Comprehensive, 6 months; adult groups online (Mon or Wed, 6–8 pm) | Rates by phone | No plans named; gives a statement with codes for out-of-network claims | (408) 207-5269 (its contact page also lists (408) 357-4575) |
| El Camino Health, ASPIRE young adults — 825 Pollard Rd, Suite 201, Los Gatos | Ages 18–25: PHP or IOP for 8–10 weeks using a DBT framework | Cost share depends on plan | El Camino's mental-health contracts: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Magellan, MHN and Optum behavioral health. Kaiser not listed | Free assessment: 650-962-5855 |
| Silicon Valley DBT — 4020 Fabian Way, Palo Alto | Young adults 18–28: weekly group, Tuesdays 5 pm, within a comprehensive program | Not published | Its fees page could not be read: ask | Contact form on its website |
| South Bay DBT — 1570 The Alameda, Suite 255-B, San Jose | Individual DBT, skills group and coaching; current group on Zoom, Thursdays 5:15–6:45 pm | Not published | Lyra network provider; other plans not published | (408) 893-4032 |
| Stanford Medicine, Adult DBT — 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford | Ages 18–75: comprehensive DBT, a skills-group-only track, and a skills group for friends and family | Billed to insurance | The clinic lists Stanford Health Care Alliance, Stanford Medicare Advantage, Medicare, Blue Cross, Aetna and Tricare among its plans. Does not see Kaiser patients | 650-498-9111, press 2 |
Peninsula (San Mateo County)
| Program | DBT for adults | Cost | Insurance, as published | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wise Mind Institute — 617 Veterans Blvd, Suite 107, Redwood City (also Berkeley) | Comprehensive DBT, 7–14 months; radically open DBT (RO-DBT); in person and virtual | $150 per skills class | Groups are self-pay. Select clinicians are in network with Blue Shield of California HMO and PPO for individual therapy (since June 2026); no Medi-Cal or Medicare; superbill for PPOs | 650-503-8179 |
San Francisco
| Program | DBT for adults | Cost | Insurance, as published | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area CBT Center — 45 Franklin St, Suite 210 (also Oakland) | Comprehensive DBT; rotating skills groups you can join any time; in person or online | Group $60–$125 depending on the clinician | Its fees page says "out-of-network provider" with superbills; its DBT page says it accepts many plans but names none | 415-941-5373 |
| San Francisco DBT Center — 1702 Union St. DBT-LBC certified program | Comprehensive one-year program; adult skills groups by telehealth (Tue, Wed, Thu); a skills group alone after an intake | $150 per group; intake $300 | Its own site: "out-of-network," monthly superbill. Its 2024 certification listing named Aetna, Lyra, United Behavioral Health and MHN for skills groups: ask which is current | Therapists' phone lines are on its contact page |
| Wavefront DBT Program, UCSF — San Francisco. DBT-LBC certified program | Young adults up to 25, with family involvement; 24-week multifamily skills group | Not published | Its certification listing: most commercial insurance in Northern California; Kaiser by single-case agreement; no Medi-Cal contract (SF, Alameda and Contra Costa Medi-Cal are referred through county routes) | (415) 502-1523; it reports a waitlist |
Oakland and the East Bay
| Program | DBT for adults | Cost | Insurance, as published | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClearWater Clinic — 1 Bates Blvd, Suite 400, Orinda | Young adults 18–24 (Wed, in person); adults 25+ (Tue mornings in person, Tue evenings on Zoom) | $90 a week ($540 per 6-week module); intake $250 | "We do not accept any direct third-party payments, including all private insurance and Medi-Cal" | (510) 596-8137 |
| John Muir Health, Behavioral Health PHP and IOP — 4080 Port Chicago Hwy, Concord | Adults 18+, including 65+: half-day program using CBT and DBT | Depends on plan | The Behavioral Health Center takes most Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Cigna products, Kaiser, Medicare, Contra Costa Health Plan, Magellan and UBH. Not UnitedHealthcare commercial, Health Net or Beacon | (925) 674-4265 |
| Mt. Diablo Psychological Services — 171 Front St, Suite 201, Danville | Adult DBT group, 24 weeks, online (its pages disagree on day and format: confirm) | $110 a week | "Out-of-network practice and do not accept insurance"; superbills on request | (925) 448-7129 |
| Oakland DBT and Mindfulness Center — 4179 Piedmont Ave, Suite 210, Oakland | Adults 30+, young adults 18–29, a postpartum class, and a class for parents; all on Zoom; you need an individual therapist | $800 per 8-week module; intake $200 | "Private pay… do not accept insurance, including Medi-Cal or Medi-Care"; superbills; sliding scale for some | 510-239-5698 |
| Pacific DBT Collaborative — 17 Armanino Ct and 166 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland; 405 Kains Ave, Albany | Comprehensive DBT; groups in Rockridge (Mon) and North Berkeley (Thu) and on Zoom (Mon, Tue); perinatal and older-adult groups | $95 in person, $85 virtual; intake $100 | "We do not accept insurance"; superbills; single-case agreements possible | Call or text 510-823-2455 |
| Wright Institute, Berkeley CBT Clinic — Berkeley | DBT skills group in 10-week modules, run by supervised trainees; you need an individual therapist | $12 a session; intake $40 | "Does not currently accept Medi-Cal"; sliding scale | (510) 923-2241 |
North Bay
| Program | DBT for adults | Cost | Insurance, as published | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guidepost DBT — 300 Tamal Plaza, Suite 220, Corte Madera (also Oakland and San Francisco) | Adult DBT group (Tue 6–7:30 pm) and RO-DBT group (Thu), both virtual for Californians | Individual sessions from $180; groups not published | "A self-pay center"; superbills | 415-459-5206. "No Waitlist" |
| Providence Santa Rosa Memorial, outpatient behavioral health — 405 W College Ave, Suite F, Santa Rosa | IOP and PHP that use DBT | Depends on plan | "Most insurance plans, including Kaiser and Medicare"; the hospital lists Partnership HealthPlan (Medi-Cal) | 707-547-5450 |
Kaiser members
Kaiser does not list its DBT programs on member pages we could find, but its clinician-training pages describe adult DBT across the Bay Area: an adult program in Oakland that "follows the Linehan model closely" (skills groups, individual therapy and phone coaching), a DBT Intensive Program in San Rafael, adult DBT groups in Santa Rosa, and a DBT Intensive Program in Napa-Solano with a Fairfield team.⁵ Kaiser says you do not need a referral for mental health care.⁶ Call Kaiser Mental Health and ask for the DBT program by name. If Kaiser says nobody is available →
If you love someone who needs DBT
Stanford's adult program runs a DBT skills group for friends and family, and Oakland DBT and Mindfulness Center runs a class for parents. Loving someone with BPD →
Looking for a teenager? DBT for teens and families in the Bay Area → · Just heard the word "borderline"? BPD vs. borderline personality organization →
Q&A
Where can an adult find a DBT skills group in the Bay Area? On November 13, 2026, we verified 19 Bay Area programs with DBT for adults or young adults, including San Jose, Campbell, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Orinda, Danville, Concord, Corte Madera and Santa Rosa.
Does insurance cover adult DBT in the Bay Area? Hospital programs such as Stanford, John Muir Behavioral Health and Providence Santa Rosa bill insurance, including Medicare. Most private DBT groups are out of network and give a superbill. South Bay DBT takes Lyra, and Kaiser members get DBT through Kaiser Mental Health.
What is the cheapest adult DBT group in the Bay Area? The Wright Institute's Berkeley training clinic listed DBT skills groups at $12 a session on November 13, 2026.
Our therapist directory: See its current status →
Sources
- Linehan MM, Armstrong HE, Suarez A, Allmon D, Heard HL, "Cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronically parasuicidal borderline patients," Archives of General Psychiatry 48(12), 1991, 1060–1064 — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Linehan MM, Comtois KA, Murray AM, et al., "Two-year randomized controlled trial and follow-up of dialectical behavior therapy vs therapy by experts for suicidal behaviors and borderline personality disorder," Archives of General Psychiatry 63(7), 2006, 757–766 — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Behavioral Tech, "Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)" — "There are four modes of standard outpatient DBT" — behavioraltech.org.
- Linehan MM, Korslund KE, Harned MS, et al., "Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder: a randomized clinical trial and component analysis," JAMA Psychiatry 72(5), 2015, 475–482 — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California mental health training program pages (read November 13, 2026): Oakland · San Rafael · Santa Rosa · Napa-Solano.
- Kaiser Permanente, mental health care for members — healthy.kaiserpermanente.org.
- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, directory of certified programs (read November 13, 2026) — dbt-lbc.org.
Insurance sources, each read November 13, 2026: Awake DBT FAQ · Bay Area Mental Health FAQ · El Camino mental-health insurance · South Bay DBT and Lyra · Stanford Outpatient Psychiatry · Wise Mind and Blue Shield · Bay Area CBT Center fees · SF DBT Center FAQ · SF DBT Center certification listing · Wavefront certification listing · ClearWater · John Muir Health insurance · Mt. Diablo fees · Oakland DBT pricing · Pacific DBT FAQ · Guidepost FAQ · Providence Santa Rosa insurance.
Clinical review is not yet claimed.
Paid for by participating therapists. Inclusion is computed from each program's own website — never purchased. No ads, no data sold.