Being in the Triangle area, with its great research institutions and medical centers, provides a wealth of treatment choices. Unfortunately, those choices don't necessarily make it any easier to find a place to get the treatment you need and deserve. If you were to go to an institution like the Duke University Medical Center or UNC Hospitals, you could be treated by a licensed psychologist. Or you could be treated by a trainee.

Drs. Banawan, Erikson and Lacy were once a trainees at Duke University or the Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Banawan completed both his internship and post-doctoral fellowship there, in fact. There are many skilled clinicians at all levels of training and you can expect to find the best interns in the country at either of those research institutions. However, research has shown that level of experience has a significant impact on treatment success. While licensure status does not affect level of experience, it is a good indicator of how long one has been practicing.

At Durham DBT, you will be treated by a Ph.D. psychologist. You will find that the more personal setting of a smaller practice than one of the high volume psychology clinics means you'll get all the attention you need, from billing questions to your treatment delivery. If you feel that your mental health deserves the personal attention only a practice like Durham DBT can provide, call Dr. Erikson at (919) 308-8675 today. Or you may fill out the contact form.

While you're deciding about treatment, please have a look around the site. You can read about what to expect before you come into treatment. It's not all that interesting but will help demystify the experience.

We hope you find the following articles and links useful:

• What is DBT?

• Dr. B's Blog

• If it's Raining Outside

Finally, you may find some useful information in one of the many great books on mental health. Please have a look at our recommended readings page for some pointers. The selections there are not the only good books available and we're constantly trying to vet new books to recommend. If you have one that you like, post it in the comments and we'll have a look at it.

At Durham DBT, we are in-network providers for the Duke University Student Resources plan. If you are member of this network, you will only be requested to pay your co-pay at the time of your visit. For all other networks, we are happy to fill out the necessary paperwork to enable prompt reimbursement from your insurance company but you will be required to pay in full at each visit.

Thanks for your time, Sammy F. Banawan, Ph.D.