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    • Home
    • About
      • Our Team
      • What is CBT
      • Our Areas of Expertise
    • Therapy Services
      • OCD and Anxiety Program
      • Eating Disorders Program
      • PTSD Program
      • RO DBT Program
      • Women's Health Program
      • Schema Therapy Program
      • Intensives
    • Education & Consultation
    • Contact Us
      • New Patient Inquiry Form
      • Professional Inquiry Form

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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team
    • What is CBT
    • Our Areas of Expertise
  • Therapy Services
    • OCD and Anxiety Program
    • Eating Disorders Program
    • PTSD Program
    • RO DBT Program
    • Women's Health Program
    • Schema Therapy Program
    • Intensives
  • Education & Consultation
  • Contact Us
    • New Patient Inquiry Form
    • Professional Inquiry Form

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3 people celebrating with one another at the top of a mountain.

RO DBT Program

Some people just have too much of a good thing...

Not all suffering comes from too little control. For many people, distress arises from too much self-control: excessive perfectionism, emotional inhibition, social withdrawal, and rigid thinking patterns that get in the way of connection and flexibility. 


Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) is a transdiagnostic treatment developed for individuals who struggle with overcontrol. This evidence-based approach is especially effective for conditions like:

  • Chronic depression (especially when treatment-resistant)
  • Anorexia nervosa (particularly restrictive, rule-bound presentations)
  • Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD)
  • Autism spectrum traits with social aloofness
  • Social anxiety disorder
  • Treatment-resistant anxiety disorders
  • Maladaptive perfectionism and emotional overcontrol

Get Started Today

Contact us today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

Contact Us

RO DBT is grounded in the idea that emotional overcontrol, rather than undercontrol, is at the root of many chronic mental health difficulties. While self-control is often seen as a strength, too much of it can lead to emotional loneliness, poor social signaling, and rigid, avoidant behavior that keeps people stuck.This treatment helps clients learn to:

  • Express emotions more openly and authentically
  • Increase psychological flexibility and openness to feedback
  • Strengthen close relationships and social connection
  • Reduce perfectionism, rigidity, and rule-governed behavior
  • Move toward a more values-aligned and fulfilling life


RO DBT differs from traditional DBT in its focus on social signaling, openness, and connectedness, rather than emotion regulation for impulsivity or self-harm. It is especially effective for people who feel “invisible,” misunderstood, or emotionally shut down, even if they appear high-functioning on the outside.

Our RO DBT Program includes:

  • Individual therapy sessions focused on personal goals and applying RO DBT skills
  • RO-DBT skills classes , teaching the core skills of openness, flexibility, and social connectedness
  • Parent and family consultation, when appropriate for adolescents and young adults
  • Integration with nutritional, medical, or psychiatric care for clients with co-occurring diagnoses such as anorexia nervosa or chronic depression


If your current treatment feels like it’s missing something, if you’re highly self-disciplined but still struggling, RO DBT may be the missing piece.

RO DBT Program Therapists

Allie Appenzeller, Licensed Psychologist and Co-Director of CBTTexas

Allie Appenzeller, PsyD

Allie Appenzeller, PsyD

Allie Appenzeller, PsyD

Co-Director & Licensed Psychologist

About Me
Zach Appenzeller, Licensed Psychologist and Co-Director of CBTTexas

Zach Appenzeller, PsyD

Allie Appenzeller, PsyD

Allie Appenzeller, PsyD

Co-Director & Licensed Psychologist

About Me
Lexie Duhon, LPA and Therapist at CBTTexas

Lexie Duhon, MA, LPA

Allie Appenzeller, PsyD

Lexie Duhon, MA, LPA

Licensed Psychological Associate

About Me

6575 West Loop South, Suite 603, Bellaire, Texas 77401, United States

(954) 866-3584

Copyright © 2025 Texas Institute for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, PLLC- All Rights Reserved.

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