Myths and Reality
Misunderstandings about DBT clinicians with lived experience can create unnecessary stigma, shame, and silence. Naming these myths and grounding them in reality strengthens teams, deepens compassion, and honors the full humanity of the therapists who do this work.
Some common myths include:
Myth: Therapists who have been DBT clients can’t be objective.
DBT teaches holding multiple truths. Therapists with experience being DBT clients have enhanced empathy and perspective-taking while having professional boundaries and adherence to evidence-based practices.
Myth: Having received DBT treatment means they’re “less stable”
Completing DBT demonstrates resilience and self-awareness, which are qualities that strengthen clinical effectiveness, not weaken it.
Myth: Therapists might over-identify with their clients and their history will interfere with their clinical judgment
Experience as a DBT client can reduce judgment and increase compassion. When paired with a consultation team and reflective practice, it strengthens clinical presence rather than blurring lines.
Myth: A “real therapist” shouldn’t have needed the same treatment they provide.
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Completing DBT is a sign of strength, not a setback. It demonstrates the ability to use skills, recognize patterns, and model the change process for others.
It is dialectical. DBT therapists already balance acceptance and change, vulnerability and competence. Being a client and a therapist is the heart of dialectics itself.
Myth: Being both a client and a therapist is contradictory
Myth: Disclosure of lived experience is unprofessional
A DBT principle is that therapists practice radical genuineness with clients. Sometimes, thoughtful and intentional disclosure can be used as a clinical tool to help reduce shame rather than be a liability.
Myth: Colleagues should not take these therapists seriously
Therapists who have been clients can bridge divides between the client's and therapists' perspectives and model integration of vulnerability and professionalism.
Signs You or a Team May Be Operating from a Myth
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Silence around personal mental health histories
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Assuming a therapist with personal DBT experience is less capable
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Fear of “over-identification” without assessing actual behavior
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Avoidance of conversations about disclosure
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Team members openly disparage their own DBT clients
Myths about clinicians with lived experience can shape how others see us and how we see ourselves. Navigating these beliefs is part of staying grounded in the work. Click here to learn more about staying grounded in the work.