Meet Our Team
Dr. James J. Mazza
Dr. James J. Mazza is a licensed psychologist and the co-author of the DBT STEPS-A social emotional learning curriculum for middle and high school students. He is also the co-author of the DBT STEPS-E social emotional learning curriculum for elementary (K-5) students (est. publication June 2024), and the developer of the Wellness and Resilience for College and Beyond course taught at the University of Washington to undergraduate students. Jim received his masters and Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is a professor in the College of Education at the University of Washington - Seattle where he has been teaching and conducting research in the field of adolescent mental health for over 28 years. He was a past president of the American Association of Suicidology and continues to focus on the development of coping strategies and skills to reduce self-harming, self-medicating, and suicidal behavior.
Dr. Elizabeth Dexter-mazza
Dr. Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza is a certified DBT clinician, co-author of the DBT STEPS-A social emotional learning curriculum for middle and high school students, and licensed psychologist. She received her doctoral degree from the School of Professional Psychology at Pacific University in 2004. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center’s Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program. Dr. Dexter-Mazza completed her postdoctoral fellowship under the direction of Dr. Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington. Lizz is currently working on a DBT skills book for parents, maintaining her clinical practice, and teaching counseling strategies to mental health professionals.
Julie Giebel
Julie Giebel is the Training Coordinator for DBT in Schools. With a BS in Business from the University of Colorado and experience in corporate sales and small business, Julie has helped DBT in Schools navigate the growth of the business from concept to an international training company. Julie handles most aspects of the business for DBT in Schools including client relations, scheduling and logistics, marketing, and event development. Julie is an invaluable partner for the DBT in Schools team - able to wear many hats. Outside of work, Julie spends time volunteering in her community and enjoys time with family and friends enjoying the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.
Patricia Gieslman, MFT
Patricia (Patty) Gieselman, MFT is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™. She is the founder and Executive Director of Choices Counseling & Skills Center, which specializes in comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with extensive experience working with adults, adolescents and families in both community-based and residential settings. During her career, she has worked as a clinician, consultant, trainer, program director and Vice President of Clinical Services. In addition to offering counseling services, Ms. Gieselman trains mental health professionals as a provider of continuing education courses for the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT), Board of Registered Nursing and the American Psychological Association and has been an adjunct instructor for local colleges and universities.
Dr. Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp
Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Dr. Muehlenkamp is an internationally respected expert on non-suicidal self-injury and suicide in adolescents and young adults and is trained as a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) therapist for both adolescents and adults. She is a co-author of two books on the assessment and treatment of NSSI and is a regular consultant to mental and behavioral health professionals in her region. Dr. Muehlenkamp’s work has been honored with awards from the American Association of Suicidology, over $2 million in research grants, and she is past president of the International Society for the Study of Self-injury. Jennifer has been training with DBT in Schools since 2019.
Dr. Paul Reinert
Paul Reinert, PhD is currently an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Prior to joining the Wilkes faculty, Paul worked in public education for 34 years as a high school and junior high school science teacher, middle level school counselor, and K-12 administrator at the elementary, middle, high school, and central office levels. During his time at Wilkes, Paul taught a variety of educational leadership courses at both the masters and doctoral level. In addition, Paul teaches a wellness and resilience course to first year students that is built on the DBT-STEPS curriculum. Paul has been a member of the DBT in Schools team since the spring of 2019; offering trainings around the country in the DBT STEPS-A curriculum. Paul holds a B.S. from the University of Scranton, Secondary Education/General Science; an M.S. from the University of Scranton, School Counseling; a Secondary Principal’s Certification from Marywood University; and a Ph.D. from Marywood University, Human Development with a Specialization in Education Administration.
Mariah Covington, MA
Mariah Covington earned her B.A. in Sociology from Howard University and her M.A. in Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Mariah implemented DBT STEPS-A (Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Skills for Training Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents) as the school-wide social emotional learning program at a boarding school for at-risk youth in Washington, DC. Prior to that, Mariah worked at a residential treatment facility for adolescence, where she conducted and published peer-reviewed journal articles on the effectiveness of DBT. In this role, she also co-facilitated DBT group skills training. Mariah has worked extensively with adolescents who have experienced trauma, cognitive difficulties, mood disorders, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. She also works with parents to provide continuity of care. Mariah is a member of the ISITDBT board. Currently, she works at Wake Kendall in Washington DC, providing DBT treatment and therapeutic services for adolescents.
Dr. Jaclyn Lally
Jaclyn Lally, PhD, NCSP is a graduate of the University of Washington’s School Psychology program where she currently works as the internship coordinator. Jaclyn is a co-creator and instructor for Education 215: Wellness and Resilience in College and Beyond, a DBT-STEPS-A based course for undergraduates at UW. In addition, Jaclyn works with a team of graduate students researching the effectiveness of the Wellness and Resilience course. A proud school psychologist, Jaclyn is dedicated to translating social-emotional learning practices from K-12 settings for use in higher education. Her focus is promoting resilience skill-building and mental wellness for students in preparation for their careers. Jaclyn is currently launching Ed 216: Thriving on the Path to Happiness. Outside of work, Jaclyn enjoys spending time enjoying the Pacific Northwest outdoors with her husband, son, and two dogs.
Dr. Kate Odom
Kate Odom, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in complex trauma, high risk, and high conflict populations. Kate has provided therapy, assessment, and consultation to children, adolescents, and their families in a variety of settings, including schools, community mental health, and primary care settings. Kate has been involved with DBT through facilitating skills groups since 2009 and is certified in other evidenced-based modalities such as TF-CBT, CBITS, Motivational Interviewing, and AF-CBT. Additionally, Kate enjoys providing clinical supervision to young professionals. Kate is a proud graduate of Colorado State University and earned her Doctor of Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Although Kate practiced for over a decade on the west coast, she finds herself back in Chicagoland and is the executive director of Odom Psychology and Consulting. In her free time Kate enjoys playing soccer, watching movies, and eating good food, all with her kids.