Alma Bitran is a second-year-year clinical psychology PhD student at Rutgers University. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Yale University in 2021. She previously worked as a research assistant at the Translational Research on Affective Disorders and Suicide Lab at Columbia University, where she carried out research examining short-term predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents. She is interested in increasing access to interventions for youth suicide, as well as examining how suicide-related disclosure patterns may be differentially associated with risk.

Dr. Rhonda C. Boyd is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Additionally, she is a researcher at CHOP PolicyLab and a member of the National Scientific Council on Adolescence. She is the Associate Director of the CHOP’s Child and Adolescent Mood Program in the outpatient clinic where she practices as a licensed psychologist specializing in the evaluation and treatment of youth with depression and suicide risk. She has served as a Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on multiple federal grants including those from the National Institutes of Health and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Specifically, she has conducted several studies examining maternal depression and its impact on children, particularly focused on Black families and has developed and adapted interventions for urban, diverse families with maternal depression in multiple settings, such as community, mental health, and primary care. Currently, she is a Co-Investigator for two Practice-Based Suicide Prevention Research Centers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Additionally, she participated in the workgroup for the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide & Mental Health. She is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association.

My research program centers on emotional processes in adolescents at risk for severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia. Individuals with SMI tend to experience structural inequality, stigma, and problematic outcomes such as disability, unemployment, and even suicide. Furthermore, there is inequity in access to resources that heighten SMI vulnerability in adolescents at risk, which narrows the window in which it is possible to effectively intervene early and prevent risk progression and SMI emergence. Emphasizing a developmental framework, my research seeks to identify adolescents at risk for SMI early, before symptoms progress, inform etiological models of emotion related risk factors of SMI, pinpoint underlying mechanisms contributing to SMI emergence, and contribute to intervention development.

I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern University in 2022. During my time at Northwestern University, I completed training in the administration of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy under Dr. Michael Maslar. I completed my clinical internship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic where I gained experience working with complex clinical presentations. I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. My research emphasizes theories of heterogeneity that allow for a focus on individual variation and differences. I have received external funding to support my training including a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Award (NRSA) F31 in graduate school. My commitment to this work and productivity is evidenced by 58 published peer-reviewed manuscripts, 19 of which are first-authored in academic journals such as Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, Emotion, Schizophrenia Bulletin, Psychological Medicine, I have 1,745 citations, and an h-index of 24.

Andrea Gold, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown University Alpert Warren School of Medicine and a Psychologist at the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC), Bradley Hospital. In the Intensive Program for Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related anxiety disorders at PARC, Dr. Gold is the Team Leader for the DBT-X Track, where she is developing an adaptation of DBT targeting exposure for the subpopulation of adolescents with OCD and other fear disorders co-occurring with emotional and interpersonal dysregulation, self-injurious behaviors, suicidality, and/or borderline personality disorder. Dr. Gold is on the Board of Directors for the National Education Alliance for BPD (NEABPD) and the Editorial Board for the DBT Bulletin.

Maggie Mullen, LCSW, DBT-LBC, (they/them) is a clinical social worker, international trainer, and community activist. They are the author of ''The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Psychosis'', a self-help book designed for people experiencing psychosis and their loved ones, and has published several chapters for clinicians on the same topic. Maggie specializes in culturally responsive, evidence-based care for psychotic spectrum disorders, trauma and PTSD, the LBGTQ+ community, and formerly incarcerated people. Maggie is committed to ensuring DBT reflects anti-oppressive, disability justice-informed values and is a founding member of the ISITDBT Anti-Racism Committee. You can find them online at www.maggiemullen.com

Lorie Ritschel earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kansas and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Duke University Medical Center and Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Ritschel is an expert trainer and consultant of DBT and the DBT Prolonged Exposure protocol through Behavioral Tech and Harned Consulting. She is a board certified DBT therapist through the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, where she collaborates with the TEACCH Autism program to adapt DBT for autistic individuals. She has published and presented her work in numerous national and international venues. Dr. Ritschel is also a co-owner of the Triangle Area Psychology Clinic (TAP), an outpatient private practice in Durham, NC, where she and her colleagues treat adolescents, adults, couples and families using a range of evidence-based treatments.

Elizabeth Kingfield, PsyD (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Director of Psychotherapy in the Outpatient Psychiatry Center (OPC) at Penn Medicine. She is a licensed psychologist and integrative therapist whose area of concentration is LGBTQ+ mental health. She co-founded a virtual DBT skills group in 2020 with Anaya Kellogg, LCSW, which was the first DBT group in the OPC that took private insurance, and in 2024 she launched the first LGBTQ+ DBT skills group in collaboration with Lily Assaad, Ph.D. Dr. Kingfield is trained in providing assessments for letters of support for gender affirming surgery and she coordinates a team of mental health providers who provide these letters across two clinics. She also provides trainings for mental health providers on LGBTQ+ competency, working with trans and gender nonconforming clients, and relational-cultural therapy. Her doctoral research was on the experience of divorce for transgender adults.

Dr. White received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Rhode Island and was a fellow at Harvard Medical School before moving to Oregon, where he is a licensed psychologist. His clinical areas of expertise include suicide, clinical risk management, adolescent and family treatment, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, and implementation of evidence-based practice. He has extensive research and evaluation experience on both coasts, with specific interests in community-based program evaluation, multilevel modeling, frequent use of psychiatric emergency services, and general evaluation of evidence-based practice. As an advocate of the scientist/practitioner model, he has a strongly held value and passion for the adherent delivery of effective evidence-based treatment, especially for individuals who have experienced barriers to accessing mental health services
In addition to clinical services, Dr. White trains internationally on suicide prevention and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and specializes in the implementation of DBT with non-dominant and native populations. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology within the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, is board certified in DBT through the Linehan Board of Certification, holds ABPP Board Certification in Clinical and Behavioral Psychology, volunteers as a journal reviewer, and volunteers in multiple capacities for the Linehan Board of Certification.
He is co-owner of the Portland DBT Institute (PDBTI) and serves as the Associate Director. At PDBTI he works with the management team to set program policy, provides clinical services to adults, adolescents, and families, oversees research and evaluation services, and provides supervision to psychologist residents and clinical staff.

ANA OJEDA, PSY.D., ABPP
Regent University (Clinical), 2008
Clinical Internship: Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Miami Children’s Hospital and Ciminero & Associates; Jackson
Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine.

Dr. Ojeda joined Jackson Health System, Department of Psychology, in September 2023. She
comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience in both outpatient and inpatient psychiatric
settings. She became Board Certified in Clinical Psychology by the American Board of
Professional Psychology in 2018. She has served as an Assistant Professor at Albizu University
and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor for Florida International University through Nicklaus
Children’s Hospital, Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ojeda has also had a strong role in the
community, as co-founder, executive director and supervising psychologist for Urban Promise
Miami, Inc., a program pioneered in Camden, New Jersey focused on empowering neighborhood
youth to reaching their potential, despite the odds against them. Dr. Ojeda has also been involved
in multiple community presentations as well as television and social-media interviews. She is a
member of the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Nathalie Edmond, PsyD, RYT-500 is a licensed clinical psychologist, experienced yoga teacher and JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) practitioner who takes an integrative perspective to her consultations and trainings. She believes that transformation happens when we integrate mind-body-spirit and have an embodied dialogue. She grounds herself in the idea that racial justice is a spiritual practice. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings as a clinician, administrator and adjunct faculty. She regularly leads anti-racism, trauma informed and anti-oppression trainings. She has been intensively trained in DBT along with a variety of somatic and mindfulness approaches. She is currently the director of the counseling center at Villanova University and founded a group practice called Mindful and Multicultural Counseling. Her upcoming book is Mindful Race Talk: Building literacy, fluency and agility.

Melanie Harned, Ph.D., is a Psychologist and Coordinator of the DBT Program at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle Division as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Dr. Harned has previously worked as the Research Director of Dr. Marsha Linehan’s Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington (2006-2018), Director of Research and Development for Behavioral Tech, LLC (2014-2017), and Director of Behavioral Tech Research, Inc. (2013-2016). Dr. Harned’s research focuses on the development and evaluation of the DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) protocol for PTSD as well as methods of disseminating and implementing this and other evidence-based treatments into clinical practice. She regularly provides training and consultation nationally and internationally in DBT and DBT PE and is licensed as a psychologist in the state of Washington.

Qing Yin is a fifth-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student at Rutgers University. She received her B.S. in psychology from the University of Washington and her M.S. in clinical behavioral psychology at Eastern Michigan University. Her interest centers around translating science to clinical practice to improve behavioral interventions for emotion dysregulation and suicide. Her research interests include emotion dysregulation, suicide thinking and behavior, the process of change in DBT, repeated measure designs, and novel approaches to DBT implementation.

Christopher Conley is a social worker who is certified through the DBT Linehan Board of Certification as a Certified Clinician™. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor (PT) at McMaster University in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences where he supervises residents in psychotherapy and coordinates the DBT and Prolonged Exposure psychotherapy modules for the department. He is active in dissemination efforts to advance DBT and exposure-based CBT treatments through his research and practice.

I own Aviva Psychological Services, my private practice in San Diego, California. We specialize in comprehensive outpatient DBT, therapy, and psychological testing with a special emphasis on psychosis spectrum disorders and neurodivergence.

Sami Ascanio, LCSW-C, is an Autistic clinician in the Greater Washington DC area, serving as the Program Director of a prominent DBT Clinic. She is certified as a DBT clinician by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification and leads the DBT-LBC Certified DBT program at Capital Youth Services. Sami specializes in treating Autistic adolescents, utilizing her unique cognitive processing and organizational skills to emphasize the importance of considering neurotype during assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment.

Lily is an incoming Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she has previously or is currently delivering Standard DBT, DBT ACES, and trauma treatments at both the UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. Given her passion for helping others grow in their ability to provide DBT and trauma treatments, Lily has been clinically teaching and supervising others in multiple institutions across the nation. Additionally, Lily has been teaching university-level courses on personality and culture for the past 12 years at various universities across the US, including Purdue University, where she obtained her PhD. During her tenure at Purdue, she was honored to obtain multiple research grants and first-author manuscripts while giving many conference presentations. She has also been the recipient of multiple awards in recognition of her research in the field of clinical psychology. Such awards include the Research Innovation Award, the Linden Award and Zoss Award for Promoting Diversity in Clinical Science, and the Purdue Acceptance and Inclusion Consortium Grant Award. She received the Santagrossi Graduate Instructor of the Year Award in recognition of her commitment to excellence as an instructor at Purdue. Most recently, she received the prestigious Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) research poster award, an award recognizing the scholars whose studies represent the most innovative research being presented at ABCT.

John Lothes, M.A., LPA, LCAS-A, Ed.D, is a licensed psychological associate in Wilmington, North Carolina and is DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician. As a clinician, John was hired by Delta Behavioral Health in 2008 to help start up and run their Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) based partial hospital program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP) and later a DBT-based substance abuse intensive outpatient program (SAIOP). Since 2008, John has provided supervision to interns on DBT in the PHP, IOP and SAIOP programs. John also uses DBT in his outpatient private practice working with a number of diagnoses. Dr. Lothes has been doing DBT with his outpatient clients since 2008 as well as running weekly DBT skills groups. Dr. Lothes was introduced to DBT during his internship in 2004 at the New Hanover County Behavioral Health Hospital, an inpatient facility where he eventually led DBT groups in both their inpatient partial hospital program and substance abuse program. While on internship, in August of 2004, John spent a week training in DBT with Dr. Linehan at the New England Education Institute in Cape Cod, MA. In 2014 (Feb 3-7 & Aug 4-8). Dr. Lothes attended Behavior Tech’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Intensive Training (10 Day Intensive). John frequently attends and/or presents at conferences around the country. Dr. Lothes is a full-time faculty member at University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) in the Department of Health and Applied Human Sciences and has an adjunct position in the Department of Psychology at UNCW. He has published research on DBT in PHP and IOP settings, using DBT mindfulness skill with stress, anxiety and test anxiety in college students. He continues to research mindfulness and is conducting research on DBT and the reduction of perceived suffering, depression, anxiety, symptoms of PTSD and hopelessness in PHP and IOP patients.

CAROLINA AVILA, PSY.D.
Nova Southeastern University (Clinical), 2013
Clinical Internship: The Help Group
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine

Dr. Avila is the Director for the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program for Adolescents (DBT-A).
She is responsible for supervising individual, group and family therapy in both the Child and
Adolescent Center (CAC) and the DBT-A program as well as supervising psychological testing
within CAC. She is also the Director for Practicum Training, working as a liaison between the
Department of Psychology, practicum students and local universities. Her clinical and research
interests are in the areas of DBT with children and adolescents, as well as trauma, depression,
anxiety, ADHD, developmental disorders, family therapy and parenting skills training. Dr. Avila
is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society of Clinical Child &
Adolescent Psychology (Division 53), the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice
(Division 37), and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

Alana McVey is an Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and Attending Psychologist and the Director of Seattle Children's Autism Center Mood and Anxiety Program. Dr. McVey's program of research is focused on developing and testing interventions to address mental health concerns among Autistic young people, with an interest in human-centered design and the implementation of evidence-based treatments in community settings.

Sarah Hope Lincoln, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences and a Faculty Associate at the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist with the Center for Evidence Based Treatment in Ohio, with a specific expertise in DBT with adolescents. Her research focuses on the development of serious mental illness in children and adolescents from both neurobiological and psychosocial perspectives, with an emphasis on understanding how impairments in social cognition and social functioning occur in this population.

Dr. Mandy Porter (she/her) is a licensed psychologist. She completed her doctoral degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA in 2015 and completed her clinical internship at Fulton State Hospital in Fulton, MO. She completed her postdoctoral hours and worked at Oregon State Hospital in Salem, OR. Dr. Porter has been at Portland DBT Institute since 2018 where she is a team lead and manager of an Adult Intensive Outpatient program. Dr. Porter is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinician. She also is Board Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology.

Dominic Denning is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a trainee in the Clinical Affective Science Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine L., Dixon-Gordon. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and Anthropology from the University of Nevada Reno in 2018. Post-baccalaureate, Dominic worked as a research coordinator at the University of California San Diego at the Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research under the supervision of Dr. Tiffany A. Brown. Dominic’s program of research is aimed at advancing the understanding of how stigma and interpersonal-emotional processes potentiate risk for and maintain suicide and other life-damaging behaviors. To accomplish this, his research uses a range of methodological approaches (e.g., survey studies, interviews, laboratory-based experiments, intensive longitudinal methods, and clinical trials). He has received numerous awards for his research scholarship including the Gunderson Young Investigator Award from the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders, the Student Training Award from the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, and is currently an Emerging Scholar at The Center for Accelerating Practices to End Suicide Through Technology Translation (CAPES). Dominic’s research has been disseminated in the form of 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and approximately 50 conference presentations.