When short-term support isn't enough
A structured referral pathway for clients who need more than insight. Some clients engage genuinely with support - they're articulate, motivated, and trying - and yet they remain stuck. Emotionally dysregulated, repeating the same patterns, unable to translate understanding into lasting change. The DBT Psychology Clinic exists for exactly this group.
Who We Work With
These are the presentations that current standard and short-term therapy often don't fully resolve - and that comprehensive DBT is specifically designed to treat.
Recognising when the structure of care needs to change
These are the signals - in your caseload, or organisation - that suggest comprehensive DBT may be the right next step.
Emotional intensity remains high despite consistent therapy
Insight without behavioural change - the pattern keeps repeating
Prominent self-invalidation undermining progress
The client is engaged, attending regularly, and developing self-awareness — but the intensity of their emotional experience hasn't reduced over time.
They can articulate exactly what is happening and what needs to change. They cannot act on that understanding outside of the therapy room.
The client dismisses their own distress, holds themselves to impossibly high standards, or believes they should be able to cope without help. Progress made in session is regularly reversed.
Behaviours used to regulate states that feel intolerable
A sense - felt by both client and therapist - that something isn't shifting
EAP sessions have run their course without sufficient resolution
Substance use, self-harm, impulsive decision-making, or angry outbursts used to manage emotional states. From a DBT framework, these are regulatory strategies — not character flaws — and the target of direct skills-based intervention.
The relationship is good. The client is genuinely engaged. And yet the current structure of care doesn't feel matched to the complexity of what this person is dealing with. This is a clinical signal worth taking seriously.
The client has engaged with short-term EAP support - possibly multiple rounds - and has made a genuine effort. What they need is not more of the same, but a different structure of treatment altogether.
About the DBT Psychology Clinic
The Program
Our 48-week program is delivered consistent with the treatment as originally developed and researched by Dr Marsha Linehan. Not an adapted or abbreviated version - the full model.
When to Refer
A practical checklist for referring clinicians and organisations
A comprehensive DBT program may be worth considering when a client meets several of the following criteria.
-
Functioning well in some areas of life but struggling significantly in others — particularly close relationships or emotion regulation
-
Continues to experience significant internal distress despite ongoing therapy engagement
-
Has developed insight and understanding, but is not translating this into sustained behavioural change
-
Shows prominent self-criticism or self-invalidation that consistently undermines progress made in session
-
Appears caught between knowing what needs to change and being unable to act on that knowledge
-
Uses behaviours such as substance use, self-harm, or impulsive actions to manage emotional states
-
Would benefit from a more structured, skills-based approach alongside individual therapeutic work
-
Has exhausted short-term EAP support without sufficient resolution of core difficulties
The suitability of DBT is best assessed through an initial clinical consultation. We are happy to have an informal conversation about whether the program is likely to be a good fit before a formal referral is made.
"This is not a failure of therapy, or of the therapist, or of the client. It is a clinical signal worth paying attention to."
Louise Fisher, Director and Clinical Psychologist, DBT Psychology Clinic
Our Team - founded on deep expertise
The DBT Psychology Clinic was founded by three clinicians with more than two decades of experience delivering DBT in both public and private settings.
Behind every client at the DBT Psychology Clinic is an entire team of specialists working together. Our wider team of nine clinicians including clinical psychologists and counsellors - are all trained in DBT and committed to delivering it with rigour and care. At the heart of our clinic is a shared belief: that meaningful, lasting change is possible - even for those who feel stuck in patterns of intense emotion, reactivity and self-defeating behaviours. Our work is shaped by a deep respect for our clients' courage and a belief in their capacity to build lives worth living.The clinic has been based in Potts Point, Sydney since 2017.
Your First Point of Contact - Tania Alexander
Founding Director
Tania Alexander is a founding director of the DBT Psychology Clinic and one of Australia's most experienced DBT clinicians. More than 20 years ago, she pioneered one of the first comprehensive DBT programs in a public mental health service in Sydney — a program that continues to this day. In 2017 she co-founded Sydney's first comprehensive full-model DBT program in private practice. Tania oversees clinical quality across the program and takes referrals for initial suitability consultations.
Founding Director |
Louise Fisher
Louise has always been drawn to understanding the human mind and the ways people can heal and grow. She was particularly attracted to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) because of its compassionate, structured, and skills-based approach to supporting people who experience intense emotions. She values how practical and empowering DBT is, and the way it fosters meaningful and sustainable change.
Louise offers a warm, collaborative, and grounded approach. She aims to create a safe and respectful space where clients feel seen, supported, and gently challenged when needed.
She finds it deeply inspiring to witness people’s resilience and capacity for transformation. Her work is continually nourished by the rich interplay between psychological insight and contemplative traditions, which she thoughtfully integrates into her clinical practice.
Louise has completed DBT Intensive Training through Behavioral Tech, the institute founded by Dr. Marsha Linehan. She has led DBT skills groups at St John of God Hospital in Richmond and has extensive experience delivering comprehensive DBT, including individual therapy, group skills training, and phone coaching.
Clients are sometimes surprised to learn that Louise has been actively involved at the intersection of psychology and Buddhism. She was formerly the Director of Training for the Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapists and continues to enjoy both teaching and learning in that space.
Founding Director |
Bianca Dos Santos
Bianca is a compassionate and experienced clinical psychologist with over a decade of work across diverse settings, including community mental health, not-for-profit organisations, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice.
She was drawn to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for its dialectical nature—recognising that multiple truths can exist in any one moment—and for its unique balance of practicality and wholeheartedness. Bianca is committed to delivering therapy from a strong evidence base, supporting individuals to build a life that feels meaningful and self-directed.
In 2017, Bianca completed DBT Intensive Training with Behavioral Tech, the original institute founded by Dr. Marsha Linehan to train clinicians in delivering DBT with fidelity to the research model. She has extensive experience across all core components of DBT: facilitating group skills training, offering individual therapy, and providing phone coaching.
Bianca feels it is a true privilege to witness the profound changes that can occur when clients fully engage in the DBT process.
Outside the therapy room, Bianca is a devoted mother to two young children, a wife, and a co-parent to Charlie Brown—a much-loved chocolate poodle who previously lent a paw as a therapy dog, but now enjoys retirement basking in the sun on his favourite chair.
How We Work
We have designed the referral process to be as straightforward as possible for the clinicians and organisations we work with.
-
Step 1 — Book a referrer briefing
A 15-minute call with one of our team to discuss how we work, the presentations we treat, and whether your client or patients are likely to be a good fit.
-
Step 2 — Discuss the client
Brief clinical conversation about the specific presentation. We will give you an honest view of whether DBT is likely to be the right next step.
-
Step 3 — Client intake consultation
A clinical assessment with one of the directors to confirm suitability and match the client with the right therapist. Clients can self-book via our intake page.
-
Step 4 — Collaborative care Referring clinicians and organisations are kept in the loop on client progress throughout the program. We work alongside existing therapeutic, medical, and organisational support - not instead of it.
