Sara Bonilla, PhD is a licensed psychologist who has worked with children, adolescents, and families in acute care, residential, and intensive outpatient settings since entering the mental health field in 2013. Dr. Bonilla completed her master’s degree at Lesley University in Cambridge, where she was first introduced to DBT. After three years working in a residential program for complexly traumatized teenage girls, she returned to the University of Massachusetts Boston for her doctoral degree. Here, she conducted research related to complex trauma experiences, sexual assault/abuse, and sexual agency, and where these different experiences may overlap. Dr. Bonilla began to develop competency with DBT during her post-doctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the SouthEast Acute Residential Treatment and Partial Hospitalization programs. Due to her desire to further develop her skills with DBT, she transitioned to her current position with the 3East Outpatient DBT Program, providing DBT-adherent care to adolescents and their families. Dr. Bonilla believes in the importance of taking a systemic approach to treatment, recognizing that this supports more enduring and impactful change.