Meet our consultation team members:
A DBT consultation team is one of the required components of providing comprehensive DBT because it is a critical resource for maintaining motivation to deliver effective treatment, enhancing clinical skills, and monitoring fidelity to the treatment model. Each member agrees to abide by the following assumptions:
1. Dialectical Agreement: We agree to accept a dialectical philosophy: There is no absolute truth (nor is truth relative). When caught between two conflicting opinions, we agree to look for the truth in both positions and to search for a synthesis by asking such questions as, “What is being left out?”
2. Consultation to the Client Agreement: We agree that the primary goal of this team is to improve our own skills as DBT therapists, and not serve as a go-between for clients to each other. We agree to not treat clients or each other as fragile. We agree to treat other team members with the belief that others can speak on their own behalf.
3. Consistency Agreement: Because change is a natural life occurrence, we agree to accept diversity and change as they naturally come about. This means that we do not have to agree with each other’s positions about how to respond to specific clients, nor do we have to tailor our own behavior to be consistent with everyone else’s.
4. Observing Limits Agreement: we agree to observe our own limits. As therapists and team members, we agree to not judge or criticize other members for having different limits from our own (e.g.: too broad, too narrow, “just right”).
5. Phenomenological Empathy Agreement: All things being equal, we agree to search for non-pejorative or phenomenologically empathic interpretations of our client’s, our own, and other members’ behavior. We agree to assume we and our clients are trying our best, and want to improve. We agree to strive to see the world through our clients’ eyes and through one another’s eyes. We agree to practice a non-judgmental stance with our clients and one another.
6. Fallibility Agreement: We agree ahead of time that we are each fallible and make mistakes. We agree that we have probably either done whatever problematic things we’re being accused of, or some part of it, so that we can let go of assuming a defensive stance to prove our virtue or competence. Because we are fallible, it is agreed that we will inevitably violate all of these agreements, and when this is done, we will rely on each other to point out the polarity and move to a synthesis.
The teams at Pacific DBT Collaborative are made up of both DBT providers at Pacific DBT Collaborative as well as DBT clinicians outside of Pacific DBT, who have their own private practices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Listed below are the non-Pacific DBT Collaborative members of our teams.
Ashley Bascherini, AMFT
Ashley is a Marriage and Family Therapist, based in Walnut Creek, who specializes in working with clients from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and sexual orientations. Ashley completed her Master’s degree from National University, has been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and is an active member on Pacific DBT’s treatment team. Ashley has a breadth of experience working with clients who are going through large transitions, grief, anxiety, depression, those who have experienced trauma and more generally, people looking to discover their life’s course. Ashley sees the root of her practice being built on a genuine relationship and hopes that each client can enter the room as their authentic selves, sitting in front of an equally authentic person.
In addition to her DBT training background, Ashley is well versed in mindfulness, self compassion practices and is also a level two Gottman Couples Method trained clinician and takes an integrative approach when working with relationship issues and communication patterns.
ashley-bascherini.clientsecure.me
Caitlin Burnham, LCSW
Caitlin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of California and Oregon. She studied Psychology and Religion as an undergraduate at UC San Diego, and completed her Master’s in Social Work at Columbia University. Caitlin also has a background in clinical research, and has co-authored book chapters on mindfulness in health care and education. She has received intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) through Behavioral Tech and as part of Columbia’s DBT Training Program and Lab. She completed clinical internships at NYU Child Study Center in New York City and Clearwater Clinic in Oakland, practicing DBT and CBT with adults, adolescents, and their families.
In addition to DBT, Caitlin is trained in Exposure Therapy including Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Caitlin also practices gender affirmative care and participates in ongoing consultation as a member of Mind the Gap, a mental health consortium group affiliated with the UCSF Gender Clinic. In addition to her clinical training, Caitlin’s work is also deeply informed by her Zen training. She has been a Zen practitioner for over ten years, and spent four years in formal residential training holding various leadership positions at San Francisco Zen Center’s City Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Beth Mikesell, LMFT
Beth is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPCC) based in Pleasant Hill, CA and has been in private practice for over 20 years. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Texas -Austin and Masters of Science in Marriage and Family from San Francisco State University. Prior to private practice, Beth worked in a variety of clinical settings including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health clinics, including running the Partial Hospital Program at Mt Diablo Behavioral Health in Concord, CA. for eight years. Beth has expertise in working with adults with chronic depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, substance abuse, pregnancy, postpartum depression, parenting, as well as other mental health issues.
In addition to completing intensive training in DBT through Behavioral Tech; Beth has been trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Couples Training with John Gottman, PhD, Interpersonal Neurobiology with Daniel Siegel, MD and is currently in a two year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Training Program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.
Kathrine Schulz, LCSW
Katherine is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™ and a California based Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of clinical experience. She specializes in treating adults coping with personality disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, as well as individuals who have difficulty regulating emotions. She is practical, solution focused and values working collaboratively with client to establish a clear path towards their goals.
Katherine received her BA in psychology from Kenyon College and her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work. She has experience working in a variety of clinical settings including medical social work, and a variety of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health clinics where she developed expertise treating adults with chronic depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, anxiety and substance abuse. She has been in the private practice setting since 2006 moved to the Bay Area in 2008 . She has expertise and advanced training in evidenced based treatments including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy with Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE) and Mindfulness.
Rupa Puri Zimmermann, Ph.D.
Rupa is a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY 29209) and established her private practice in Walnut Creek in 2016. She earned her Master's Degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University and her Ph.D. in Clinical and Community Psychology from George Washington University. She completed an internship and a two year post-doctoral fellowship in child and adolescent psychology at Brown University. Prior to private practice, Rupa worked in a variety of clinical settings including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health clinics, therapeutic schools and was an adjunct professor. She has an extensive research background focusing on the treatment of mood disorders and suicide prevention. Additionally, Rupa served on the board of the non-profit organization 2020 Mom to help close gaps in maternal mental health care on both a state and national level.
Rupa has expertise in evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and DBT with Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and she completed the Postpartum Support International certificate training. She participated in the Family Connections program that helps family members who have an individual in their life that struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder/Emotional Dysregulation. Rupa specializes in treating individuals with anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation and trauma. She identifies as a culturally sensitive therapist and works with individuals from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. She supports individuals before, during and after pregnancy and helps parents with kids of all ages. As a behavioral therapist, Rupa is compassionate, collaborative, and solution focused.
drrupazimmermann@gmail.com