Chicago DBT Institute, DBT-LBC Certified Program

“Very disappointed with the professionalism and overall marketing image. We chose here based on the initial 20 minute marketing intake and what was discussed as to how the program was run. Once we were settled in and had the remaining formal intakes (all charged for) we learned quickly the program was run very differently and not as advertised. We were charged upfront for additional sessions a month out before we even attended the first skills class which again was not as advertised. You are not allowed to say your struggle out loud and have to tiptoe around it. And more over, lots of rules in place on how the 24 hour coaching works and how you can access it which was not part of the sales pitch either. I am sure this may be great for some but from our limited experience, make sure to read the fine print and know it all before being out close to $2K that they refuse to refund for sessions unused (again billed ahead before even attending which we were not notified about either). They gave us a mullti-hundred page parent book to read and review and buried in their are all the fine print information with a charge on the card before we even got home as if we had a chance to even read the book in that time nor were told. We were told at intake that if the therapist is not a great fit the team evaluates. Our child's therapist told our child she doesn't have to like her. Not much for building a strong rapport out of the gate which in my opinion is the most critical part to therapy, a strong relationship of trust and support between patient and therapist. I am sure they do great work and are helpful for some, but note not all experiences (like ours) are great and professional. Treated more like we were a transaction as opposed to partnership in helping to find and encourage support for our child.”

“it’s been nine years and i still often think about the way the therapist sylvia davidson treated me. it took some tracking down this place after all this time to finally be able to write a proper review. may this serve as a warning for anyone planning on attending. when i was 15 years old in 2017 i was seeing sylvia on a regular basis for my anxiety and panic disorder. she wasn’t very helpful but my mom was desperate and we didn’t know where else to go. it was expensive but she initially was able to give me some coping mechanisms to help so we kept paying. one day, while in her office, i had a severe panic attack. my fear revolved around the illusion that i was having an allergic reaction even when i wasn’t. because of how real the fear was i genuinely believed i was dying so i called the ambulance to the building. sylvia lost it, grown woman screaming at a 15 year old who was having a panic attack which only made it worse. when the ambulance arrived sylvia was so annoyed and angry at me. she made me feel so bad i was bawling in her office and she brought no comfort to me. the emts were actually the ones to clam me down. she then yelled at my mom telling her to make me pay for the ambulance and i better work for the money to pay back my mom for calling them. she literally scolded my mom in front of me. i never ended up paying for the ambulance sylvia because guess what? they never charged us and gave us grace, something you never did. that experience still lingers in my conscious as being one of the most traumatic moments of my life, you will always be remembered to me as someone disturbed and unprofessional. i hate that you are in my conscious at all. i’m happy to report that after finding a good therapist i was able to work through my issues and i’m now pursing my phd in california. i still struggle with anxiety but i have never experienced a therapist quite as awful and traumatizing as sylvia.”

“I came to the right place for my daughter! Dr. David and the CDBTI team are not just experts, but are also compassionate people. The program was definitely personalized and well-designed. This is the first time in years that I have seen solid results and I can't thank them enough. More power and may you continue to give hope to your clients!”

“If you are looking for a place with a team of highly qualified, highly effective, highly trained, highly empathetic professionals who can help you move in the direction you want to move, this is absolutely your place. This entire team is committed to giving you the tools to guide you in building the life you desire. Each clinician is skilled in DBT, and dedicated to the client in deep ways. I recommend The Center for Mindfulness and Behavior Therapy without hesitation! Go. It'll be the best decision you make.”