Lilac Center - North Kansas City

“The website says with IOP there is individual therapy provided, but I did not get a therapist assigned to me until the very end of the program. It was a person not even in the same city as me and was not a good fit. I tried therapy with another therapist there who turned out to not really have the time to see me and was a bit too confrontational and argumentative. The IOP itself is somewhat helpful but I would have gotten more out of it if the group leader made more of an effort to cover more material, if it actually started on time and if there wasn't a lot of interruption from other group members. Honestly just buying the DBT skills book and doing self-study would have been better for me. And actually having a good therapist. Because of this program I went without a therapist for months following a trauma and I learned I can just solve my problems myself instead of relying on inexperienced therapists. I got a copy of Marsha Linehan's DBT Skills Training Manual for under $50. If I had to do it all over again I would definitely not do this program, just buy the book. The program is just using pages from this book for the class. If you are decent at self study this is the best way to go.”

“IOP was fine, that isn't the issue with this place, you won't keep your same therapist, they will also take almost any therapist it feels like even if they aren't trained in DBT then put them in charge of a DBT group. Careful approaching this place. Some of the therapists are fantastic, but the work load that they are put under in this practice is excessive I've had at least 2 therapists tell me they are quitting to seek better practices for work life balance. Bad work life balance is not something a therapist should be dealing with while also helping others with their mental load. Tread carefully.”

“Not to dismiss the validity of the negative reviews. But I wanted to share that I had a completely positive experience. I joined the IOP after a suicide attempt, which was three days per week for about 6 weeks. The program was extremely helpful in 1. Encouraging me to resist isolation, 2. Developing my self esteem, and 3. Allowing me a neutral space to discuss my personal conflicts and think about ways to approach them. Jason was extremely kind and contributed to an environment which really allowed me to blossom. I followed up IOP with their DBT program, which was twice per week: one group session and one individual session. The group was mostly structured and I felt good sharing my experiences to help my peers ad well as take in their experiences to apply to my life. The program was about learning the curriculum and then discussing ways to implement it to become a person who could more effectively manage my emotions. Tennile said she was new to teaching DBT group, but she was very talented in my opinion. My individual therapist Megan was kind and really related to my issues. I felt very comfortable sharing my most personal issues and she added a lot of value to my perspectives. This was a life changing experience for me. The only reason I stopped going was because I lost insurance (MO Medicaid). I will be going back once I sort it out. The intake process was a short initial interview, which showed up as a temporary bill before my insurance approved it. I had no further issues with insurance billing.”

“My child had a rough 12 months when adolescence hit. It seemed like no doctor or therapist could help us. After 2 in-hospital stays, multiple referrals and doctors visits, we landed on the Lilac Centers steps. It took some time to get into the 6-week IOP, but it was absolutely life saving. It changed our lives. I had to commit, as well as my husband, to changing our mindset and views so we could all get better together. Let go of your ego and your pride, and let the good info from the Lilac center in. That is my best advice for your journey (if you have made it this far in reading). My kid tells me whats going on at school now. They tell me the truth, now, instead of lies. We have trust. We have conversation. We have a real relationship! I am SO PROUD OF THEM! AND ME! You can do this. The first step is choosing this and making sure you make this a PRIORITY! Put this at the top of the list and cancel your other plans. You CAN do this! I am a believer!”