McLean's DBT for Adolescents and Young Adults at 3East

Approach to Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Teens at 3East

One of the core principles of DBT for adolescents and young adults is the balance of acceptance and change. 3East’s intensive treatment provides the structure to help individuals acquire the skills they need to reduce or eliminate behaviors that are dangerous or are hindrances to self-growth and healthy functioning.

Continuum of care we offer

To accommodate the growing demand for DBT services as well as the broad range of needs of our patients, 3East offers several dialectical behavior therapy programs, including:

• intensive residential treatment
• more independent residential care
• outpatient therapy

Components throughout the continuum of care include:

• intensive DBT treatment
• individual and group therapy
• mindfulness practice
• skills coaching
• parent skills training and guidance.

Family services are included in all programs. Length of stay, ages accepted, and location vary with each program.

Core skill sets we emphasize

Mindfulness: Mindfulness skills help teens and young adults tune into their thoughts, emotions, and environment with curiosity rather than judgment. By staying grounded in the moment, they’re better able to manage emotional intensity and avoid feeling swept up or overwhelmed.

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Navigating friendships and social dynamics can be especially challenging during the teen years when relationships play a major role in daily life. DBT’s interpersonal effectiveness skills empower young people to express themselves clearly, handle conflict with confidence, and form more meaningful, respectful connections with others.

Emotion Regulation: These skills support teens in recognizing what they’re feeling and why, giving them the tools to manage emotions more effectively. As a result, they experience fewer mood swings and feel more in control of their emotional responses.

Distress Tolerance: Distress tolerance skills teach teens how to get through intense emotions without acting on impulse or engaging in harmful behaviors. These tools help them handle tough moments in a safer, more constructive way.

Personalized evaluation and care planning

Upon admission, each patient receives a comprehensive evaluation from a specialized clinician in collaboration with the program’s medical director. This assessment explores short- and long-term treatment options, including medication, therapy preferences, family involvement, educational support, and transitional care.

Multidisciplinary and individualized plans

Our expert team—comprised of clinicians and support staff—identifies factors contributing to unhealthy behaviors such as self-harm, while also recognizing barriers to positive change. We create customized treatment plans that consider each individual’s history, diagnoses, and personal circumstances.

Core program components and specialized support services

Mindfulness practice

• Classroom-based DBT skills groups
• Individual & group DBT therapy
• Skills coaching and parent guidance
• Case management and medication support
• Milieu therapy and recreational activities (yoga, art, music, etc.)

When appropriate, patients have access to consultations for:

• Eating disorders
• Neurological conditions
• Trauma recovery
• Educational testing
• ADD/ADHD

Trauma-informed approaches

Our programs incorporate DBT prolonged exposure (DBT+PE), a leading therapy for treating trauma and anxiety. This helps patients gradually face painful memories and emotions in a safe, supported way—reducing symptom intensity over time.

Skill integration and real-world application

To support long-term growth, we balance structure and flexibility. Patients take part in local outings—such as visits to bookstores, craft stores, or nature spots—to practice using new skills in real-life settings.

Intensive residential program

• McLean’s Arlington, MA campus
• Minimum stay of 42 days
• Ages 13-21
• Up to 14 patients at a time

24-hour care and support, including 6 hours of weekday didactic and process-oriented groups, multiple individual therapy and family therapy sessions, and a weekly two-hour parent skills and support group. Weekends include passes to explore the local area along with family visits, which are designed to help patients practice skills and prepare for reintegration into the community.

The 3East Intensive Residential Programs are best suited to adolescents experiencing the following:

• Self-harm
• Suicidal thoughts and behavior
• Impulsivity
• Frequent mood swings
• Depression (including suicidal ideation or behaviors)
• Anxiety
• Disordered eating
• Alcohol and drug addiction
• Trauma/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Conflict with familial and peer relationships
• Emotional dysregulation
• Self-injurious behaviors
• School avoidance

This particular DBT program for teens and young adults is most suited to those who need concentrated treatment and the 24-hour care of a residential program.

Program includes:

• Patients are immersed in the DBT curriculum to build upon their progress and reach individual goals. Designed to engage patients in their treatment, each day is carefully planned with a combination of:
• Individual therapy
• Classroom-based skills training
• Focused group therapy
• Treatment assignments
• Leisure time
• Recreational activities

Each program has a 42-day minimum length of stay, which allows the treatment team to determine the most effective way for each patient to address individual challenges and achieve goals. It also provides patients and their family members with the greatest opportunity to learn the strategies necessary to begin integrating new skills into their everyday lives.

Residential assessment program

• McLean’s Arlington, MA campus
• 2-week stay
• Ages 14-21

Focused diagnostic evaluation and DBT skills training in our structured around-the-clock residential treatment setting

The assessment track is ideal for adolescents and families seeking:

• Diagnostic clarity
• Symptom assessment
• Informed treatment recommendations

Program includes:

During the program, patients:

• Complete comprehensive psychiatric, behavioral, and family system evaluations
• Participate in daily residential treatment programming, including DBT skills groups
• Engage in collaborative assessment with our expert clinical team
• The program concludes with a family feedback session to review diagnostic findings, treatment recommendations, and a written summary report.
• This self-pay program may be used as a standalone service or as a gateway to the full 3East residential program.

Day treatment (partial hospitalization)

• Minimum stay of 20 business days (4-6 weeks) DBT program
• 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. outpatient day program (Monday-Friday)
• Ages 14 and in high school
• McLean’s Arlington, MA campus
• 10 participants accepted at a time

This program is aimed at treating young people who struggle with suicidal ideation and self-harm, as well as other high-risk impulsive behaviors. Individuals will learn to practice DBT skills to manage their symptoms and improve their level of functioning in the community.

The program is best suited for individuals who are:

• Not in need of residential care
• Learning dialectical behavior therapy for the first time
• Having difficulty effectively using outpatient DBT therapy

We also provide those who have stepped down from the 3East Intensive Residential Programs the opportunity to strengthen their treatment achievements and generalize the use of their skills.

Our day program accepts up to 10 participants at a time and provides an intensive daily treatment structure, which facilitates faster skill acquisition. We focus on identifying behaviors that may hinder an individual’s capacity to advance to the outpatient treatment setting while teaching new skills that support ongoing healthy functioning.

Program includes:

• Group DBT Therapy: This program is focused especially on DBT skills groups, incorporating the four modules of DBT—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
• Individual DBT Therapy: This focuses on providing transitional/vocational therapy through skills coaching for students and their parents, and a weekly two-hour parent skills training and support group.
• Medication Consultation: Our expert clinical team offers medication consultation, family therapy, and specialized consultations. Groups are kept to a small size, with one-on-one skills coaching readily available.

Outpatient DBT for teens and young adults

• Gender-inclusive adolescent DBT program
• McLean’s Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services in Cambridge, MA
• Ages 13-21
• Programs vary between a 20- and 40-week commitment

At the 3East Outpatient DBT Clinic, we specialize in identifying and treating depression and risky behavior that may include suicidal ideation and suicidal thoughts, substance use, disordered eating, risky sexual behavior, and other forms of risk-taking.

Program participants make a minimum 20-week commitment. Our treatment approach engages the patient and family in targeting five treatment areas:

• Confusion about self
• Impulsivity
• Emotional instability
• Interpersonal problems
• Parent-teen problems

Upon reaching their treatment goals, patients are invited to participate in graduate groups, designed to help maintain accomplishments and provide continued support to teens and young adults as they strive to build a more fulfilling life.

Program includes:

• Outpatient services include weekly individual therapy, family therapy, and weekly multi-family skills groups, as well as skills coaching to support the effective use of skills outside of treatment.
• We offer intensive residential treatment as well as a specialized day program (partial hospital) and outpatient care. Family services are included in all programs. Length of stay, ages accepted, and location vary with each program.

Additionally, the graduate program is available to adolescents who have graduated from any DBT program and includes participation in weekly graduate group sessions and individual sessions.

Insurance for outpatient program

While the primary 3East program is self-pay only, McLean’s 3East Outpatient DBT Clinic accepts insurance. We are one of the few in the area to offer this service, which makes McLean’s 3East outpatient care a highly sought-after and accessible option for the community.

What to expect while in this program

Admission

We accept patients from across the United States and around the world, and can help arrange admission from most domestic or international locations.

Our self-pay programs offer varying levels of care to address the specific needs, diagnoses, and challenges of each of our patients. The DBT programs are specifically designed to provide options for patients at different phases of the treatment and recovery process.

We hope to answer your call directly, or we will return your call/email within one business day.

We work with families and referring clinicians to determine whether our programs are an appropriate option for each young person. A preliminary screening is conducted over the phone to gather as much pertinent information as possible and to explain our mission and the specifics of our programs.

Accommodations

Single and double bedrooms offer plenty of natural light. Individuals may opt for catered meals or order takeout food. They may also use our dining room for communal meals.

Cost and insurance

• 3East Intensive Residential Program: $1,900 per day with a 42-day minimum length of stay
• 3East Residential Assessment Program: $1,900 per day with a 14-day minimum length of stay
• 3East Partial Hospital Program: $900 per day
• 3East Outpatient DBT Clinic: $6,600 self-pay service fee, with insurance covering individual therapy, family therapy, and medication management—length of stay is variable

Insurance

The programs in the 3East continuum of care are primarily self-pay. Most programs do not accept insurance or assist with insurance reimbursement efforts.

Some treatment services in the 3East DBT Outpatient Clinic are insurance-based, and outpatient program staff are available to answer insurance questions.

What is included in the day rate?

Clinical services such as:

• Individual dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and skills training
• Parent skills training, family meetings/therapy
• 24-hour skills coaching for patients and parents
• Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)
• Group therapy, medication evaluation and management
• Internal medicine, lab studies
• Nursing care
• Case management
• Aftercare planning

Ancillary clinical services, as clinically indicated:

• Psychological testing
• Specialty psychiatric consultations
• Additional lab studies

How dialectical behavior therapy supports borderline personality disorder

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is one of the most effective treatments for borderline personality disorder (BPD). It helps individuals manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and build healthier relationships.

DBT teaches key skills like:

• Emotional regulation
• Distress tolerance
• Mindfulness
• Interpersonal effectiveness

This allows people with BPD to navigate daily life with more stability and control.

As mentioned earlier, DBT is especially helpful for BPD in its unique balance of acceptance and change. It validates the emotional pain someone is experiencing while also helping them develop tools to cope and grow.

With a structured approach that includes individual therapy, group skills training, and coaching, DBT provides the consistent support and practical strategies many people with BPD need to thrive.

Patients who benefit most from our program and family involvement

• 3East Is Ideal for Adolescents and Young Adults seeking:

  • Borderline personality disorder treatment
  • Depression treatment
  • Anxiety treatment
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment

• Our programs offer a range of treatment options for adolescents and young adults, ages 13 to 25, who have symptoms of self-injury, impulsivity, depression, anxiety, disordered eating, emerging personality disorders, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

• Family participation is an integral part of treatment at 3East to support both the patient and also the family members.
  In the residential programs, families participate in weekly DBT family therapy and we offer parent skill groups so that parents can learn and practice DBT skills and get support from other parents. Families are also incorporated into day programs and outpatient treatment.

Visiting hours, cell phone and smoking policy, and patient privacy

• Visiting hours are 2-8pm, seven days a week. Visitors are permitted, following program policies.
• 3East discourages smoking and it is not allowed in some programs. Check with program staff for details on smoking policies in each program.
  Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas only. No smoking is allowed inside any of our buildings.
• Cell phone permissions vary by program. In the intensive residential programs, cell phone usage is part of the behavioral level system.
  Typically, patients become eligible for limited access to their cell phones after the first few weeks of treatment, depending on their treatment course and DBT skill level.

Patient Privacy

• Privacy is of the utmost importance to 3East and we ensure confidentiality through our highly trained, professional, and discreet staff. No third party, whether known to the patient or not, has access to medical records, health information, or any program participation without prior, written authorization from the patient.
• Patients may request their medical records by following the steps in this page.

Support, resources, and aftercare planning

Support and educational resources

• From helpful online resources to self-help groups and more, McLean Hospital is committed to providing support and mental health education to aid patients and families on the path to recovery. Many self-help groups are hosted by McLean.
• While our priority is treatment, we recognize the importance of education. Typically, after the initial phase of residential DBT therapy for teens, some patients may be able to manage focusing on schoolwork after the completion of the clinical day. If it is consistent with a patient’s ongoing treatment plan, program staff works with the adolescent’s school and family to develop a realistic academic plan that may be implemented during treatment. This may involve program staff helping families identify private tutors who can work with their child while at 3East.

Aftercare planning

• The treatment team works closely with the individual as well as with family, significant friends, and outside providers to develop a personalized aftercare plan. Recommendations by staff are made based upon clinical needs, progress made during treatment, and long-term treatment goals.

Patient feedback

• McLean is dedicated to maintaining high-quality and effective patient care. To ensure that those standards remain at the highest level, we utilize a number of feedback instruments and quality indicators.