Founded by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP

Meet the organizations founded by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP and the community partners in the Linehan Institute network.

Behavioral Research & Therapy Clinics (BRTC), University of Washington

Founded at the University of Washington, the BRTC was a clin­i­cal research cen­ter that developed and evaluated treatments for difficult-to-treat individuals with severe and complex disorders of pervasive emotion dysregulation. The BRTC was particularly committed to developing effective treatments for those patients excluded from behavioral and medication clinical treatment trials due to high risk for suicide, the complexity of multiple co-occurring disorders, and/or history of failure in previous clinical interventions. The BRTC used to operate as a clinical research and training program, preparing graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to become clinician-scientists.  In 2021, the Department of Psychology reorganized this program into the Marsha M. Linehan DBT Clinic.

The Linehan Institute

First founded in 1998 as the Marie Institute of Behavioral Technology, The Linehan Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing leading-edge behavioral technologies, making compassionate and effective treatments available to all persons with complex and severe mental disorders.

The organization evolved from Dr. Linehan’s vision for a collaborative organization with a commitment to caring for both therapists and clients. Today, The Linehan Institute pursues partnerships with other organizations in order to achieve our mission. We positively impact lives through support and funding for education, research, and advocacy related to the treatment of mental illness.

Behavioral Tech, LLC

Founded in 2002 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Linehan Institute, Behavioral Tech trains mental health care providers and treatment teams who work with complex and severely disordered populations to use compassionate, scientifically valid treatments and to implement and evaluate these treatments in their practice setting. Behavioral Tech specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training for mental health providers, agencies, and large systems.

Behavioral Tech Research

Established in 2004 as a separate, for-profit entity owned by Dr. Marsha Linehan, Behavioral Tech Research uses information technology and e-learning to develop innovative methods of training mental health providers in evidence-based practices. Behavioral Tech Research developed the online training courses offered by Behavioral Tech, LLC.

DBT-LBC (Co-founded)

The overarching aim of the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification is to provide to the public at large and to relevant stakeholders a source that clearly identifies providers and programs that reliably offer DBT in a way that conforms to the evidence-based research. Clinicians demonstrate that they have the requisite knowledge and skills to deliver DBT with adherence to the model as developed by Dr. Linehan and colleagues. DBT Programs demonstrate having the necessary components and organization to deliver DBT with fidelity to the model. A roster of certified clinicians is available. DBT Program certification began in April 2017.