DBT Center of Lawrence - DBT Therapists providing mental health treatment in Lawrence, KS

Beth Chao

Co-Founder, DBT Therapist

Beth Chao (she/Her), LSCSW

Elizabeth, “Beth,” completed her B.A. in Political Science at the University of Missouri with honors in 1982. Beth worked on a Master’s degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures, then shifted her degree work to Social Welfare. Beth combined her focus on school with focus on family, completing her Masters of Social Welfare (clinical emphasis) in 1991 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Beth has experience providing social work services in a prenatal health clinic and in Hospice Care, helping individuals and families with end of life and bereavement issues, emphasizing quality of life. Beth then worked at Independence, Inc., much of the time in a supervisory position, helping individuals with a variety of disabilities gain skills to live independently, emphasizing their abilities and strengths while using a cross-disability approach. Beth completed her LSCSW in 1995.

Prior to co-founding the DBT Center of Lawrence, Beth worked at Bert Nash Mental Health Center for over fifteen years, thirteen of those years providing therapy on the DBT Team. Beth has experience working with individuals with a variety of mental health diagnoses. Throughout her career, Beth has focused on empowering people to improve the quality of their lives, incorporating the Social Work Strengths Perspective. Beth considers it a privilege to help people learn and apply DBT skills to create a life worth living. Beth’s favorite DBT skill is Nonjudgmental Stance. This skill helps her to focus on facts rather than interpretations, reducing personal pain and helping her to make decisions wisely. While not working, Beth enjoys spending time with family, playing with her grand-children and two dogs and also working on social justice issues.