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Professionals
Professionals
Cherie Mills
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #40443)
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™
EXPEDITION LEADER / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Cherie oversees the implementation of Compass’ Mission Statement and adherence to its driving principles.
HER STORY
After nearly two decades of working with adolescents struggling with depression, suicidal ideation and other disorders, Cherie noticed a disturbing trend. “When I interviewed the young adults on our psych ward who weren’t getting better, I heard the same statements over and over,” she recalls. “It must be me, I must be too broken to be fixed.”
Working closely with hundreds of patients and their families, it became clear to Cherie that recovery depended on developing an effective treatment program before patients started to form their identity. “Before their identity literally became ‘depressed and suicidal’,” she says. “Before they developed a mindset that nothing could help or that they were broken, that was when they needed help the most.” It was with these families in mind that Cherie founded Compass Behavioral Health.
HER TRAINING
- Undergraduate degree from Vanguard University in Cultural Anthropology
- Master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary’s Graduate School of Psychology
- Certification as a Play Therapist from UCSD Extension
- Intensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) through Behavioral Tech, DBT treatment developer Dr. Marsha Linehan’s training institute
- Intensively trained in DBT-Prolonged Exposure by treatment developer Dr. Melanie Harned
- Comprehensively Trained as a Family Connections Leader by treatment developer Dr. Alan Fruzzetti
- Intensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E) through Oxford’s Center for Research on Eating Disorders
- Intensively trained in Behavioral Activation through Oxford’s Center for Research on Eating Disorders
- Intensively Trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Children (DBT-C) by treatment developer Dr. Franscheska Perepletchikova
- Intensively Trained in DBT Family Therapy by treatment developer Dr. Alan Fruzzetti
- Trained in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy by treatment developer Dr. Sue Johnson through Psychwire Training Institute
HER SUMMITS
- Past Director of the Advisory Board to Orange County Parenting Magazine and a contributing writer
- 1999 nominee for Mental Health Care Professional of the Year for Orange County for her effective treatment outcomes (now titled Thomas F. Riley Award)
- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™
HER TRUE NORTH
An avid mountaineer and globe-trotter, Cherie is on a continuing mission to carry a Compass summit flag to the highest peak on every continent on Earth. Two down, five to go.
Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe at 18,511 ft.
Dr. Clive Robins, Ph.D.,
DIRECTOR OF COMPASS
TRAINING INSTITUTE
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (License No. 1421)
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™
Compass Behavioral Health is proud to have Dr. Clive Robins as its premier Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) expert and Director of the Compass Research & Training Institute. Dr. Robins provides consultation to Compass on program development, staff training, and treatment assessment. Dr. Robins evaluates Compass treatment plans, and reviews treatment videos for coding and treatment adherence in Compass’s comprehensive DBT Training program. In Dr. Robins’s role as Director of the Compass Research & Training Institute, he oversees the University of California, Irvine Child & Adolescent Psychiatry second year DBT Didactics at Compass Behavioral Health. This comprehensive DBT training involves core didactic lectures on DBT principles, strategies, and protocols.
HIS STORY
Dr. Robins has been a proponent of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for more than 20 years. In 1993, he completed the first intensive training in dialectical behavior therapy, which was conducted by Dr. Marsha Linehan, the psychologist who created DBT, which combines behavioral science with concepts such as acceptance and mindfulness.
During that same year, Dr. Robins established the DBT program at Duke University Medical Center, which he directed until 2015. In the last two decades Dr. Robins has: provided DBT to many patients, trained and supervised more than 70 psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows, taught graduate-level courses in Psychological Intervention, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and the Psychology of Mindfulness, given more than 25 Grand Rounds and other invited presentations at Universities and Medical Centers, and conducted more than 90 DBT trainings and workshops for mental health professionals. He was also a co-investigator, along with his colleague Cedar Koons, on the first randomized controlled trial of DBT outside Dr. Linehan’s laboratory, and published in 2001.
HIS TRAINING
- Masters degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Sussex graduate school at Stanford University
- Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook
HIS SUMMITS
- Faculty member, New York University
- Faculty member, Duke University
- Professor Emeritus, Duke University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Professor Emeritus, Duke University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
- Certified in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology
- Licensed Psychologist, North Carolina, License No. 1421
- Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
- Served as Associate Editor and on the editorial boards of several scientific and professional journals
- More than 80 published articles and book chapters on depression, borderline personality disorder, and cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavior therapies
- Recipient of research grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health
- Behavioral Tech DBT Expert Trainer
- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™
HIS TRUE NORTH
Clive had the privilege of seeing Jimi Hendrix perform live in 1967 and playing guitar has been a passion ever since. Self-taught as a rock guitarist, he is now (slowly!) learning to play jazz.
Dr. Nicole Motakef, D.O.
COMPASS RTC MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Medical License in California (License No. 20A16793)
Board certified in General Psychiatry by American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Board Certified in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
SENIOR GUIDE/COMPASS RTC MEDICAL DIRECTOR
In Dr. Nicole’s role as Medical Director of the Compass Residential Treatment Program (RTC), The Farmhouse, she oversees the medication management and overall psychiatric treatment of residents. Dr. Nicole works closely with the Compass Chef to develop nutritional psychiatry informed menu programming, utilizing food as a source of mood stabilization, improving focus, and enhancing overall well-being and health.
HER STORY
Early in her training in medicine, Dr. Nicole realized quickly that health is far from black and white, and medicine is often looked at from the standpoint of disease and what is wrong, rather than searching for optimal health. It was through her intensive training that Dr. Nicole found medications far from enough to help those struggling with their mental health. By integrating therapy, self-discovery, mindfulness, nutrition, exercise and sometimes medications, we can live an emboldened life to the fullest.
At Compass Behavioral Health, Dr. Nicole found a community of providers that embodied these values of wellness where a life worth living can be realized.
- Undergraduate degree from University of California, Irvine in Psychology and Social Behavior
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine (WesternU)
- Completed a Post-Doctoral Teaching Fellowship in medical school at WesternU
- General Psychiatry Residency at Kaiser Permanente, Fontana
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at University of California, Irvine
- Trained in infant, child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy at Newport Psychoanalytic Institute
- Trained in Mentalization Based Treatments with Children and Young People at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
- Certifications in Integrative and in Nutritional Psychiatry from Integrative Psychiatry Institute
HER SUMMITS
- Fitness instructor at LA Fitness
- President of MBLDN Psych and Wellness
HER TRUE NORTH
Dr. Nicole loves spending time with her family and two shih-tzus, Honey and James. Though while with her family, she will often be spotted making amigurumi with crochet or learning new crafts.
Marissa Colangelo
Associate Director of Compass Research & Training Institute, Clinical Supervisor, DBT Program Clinician
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #78805)
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™
Within Marissa’s role as Associate Director of Compass Research & Training Institute, Marissa serves as the Clinical Supervisor for Columbia University’s Master of Social Work graduates. Additionally, Marissa is responsible for teaching didactics and DBT Skills Training to UCI’s Psychiatry Fellows and the community, providing supervision and ensuring adherence to DBT, and managing Continuing Education. Marissa works closely with Compass’ Research Director to identify training needs and to ensure clinical excellence. She provides both in-house training and external trainings. Additionally, she facilitates meet and greets with families interested in Compass to identify goodness of fit and to provide an overview of the program.
Additionally, Marissa facilitates a clinical caseload, providing individual and family therapy, leading DBT Skills Training groups, phone coaching and attends weekly team consultation meetings. A team of coding and therapy adherent professionals review her treatment plans and clinical videos and she receives expert consultation from Dr. Clive Robbins, DBT Training Director at Duke University and Compass Research & Training Institute.
Marissa started her master’s in Social Work at Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW) in 2012. She served as a Student Ambassador, working with prospective students and Alumni. It was here that Marissa gained interest in research and participated in research under Dr. Allen Zweben studying the efficacy of Chantix with substance abuse. Marissa’s research sparked interest in working with mental health and substance abuse. During her second year at CSSW, she found her passion in providing therapy to individuals who suffer from emotion dysregulation and completed her intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in 2014 by Dr. Andre Ivanoff. Marissa completed her second-year internship at Rikers Island, providing DBT to female inmates. Here, she provided DBT in a setting with limitations and restrictions, leading to her passion of providing affordable and accessible DBT to the community.
Marissa has extensive experience working with adolescents and young adults providing evidence-based therapy in a variety of levels of care. Marissa participated in the development of the Partial Hospitalization Program at Clearview Treatment Programs and has provided therapy at the outpatient and intensive-outpatient level of care for nearly 4 years. Marissa has a passion for teaching and returned to her alma mater at California State University, Northridge and was an Associate Professor in the Child and Adolescent Department for 3 years. Here, Marissa taught Child Abuse and Neglect, Adolescence, Professional Pathways and Careers in Child and Adolescent Development before joining the team at Compass Behavioral Health.
- Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development at California State University, Northridge 2012
- Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia School of Social Work, New York City 2014
- Adjunct Professor California State University, Northridge 2014-2018
- Completed Intensive DBT Training, 2014
- Certification in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Lynn McFarr 2016
- Completed Advanced DBT Training, 2017
- Completed Intensive Training in DBT-Prolonged Exposure, 2018
- Completed Intensive Training in DBT-C (DBT for Children), 2019
HER SUMMITS
- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™
- Calibrated video Adherence Coder to the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification™
HER TRUE NORTHIn addition to her loving fur-baby, teaching is at the core of Marissa’s passions and values.
Dr. Nicole Zaha, Psy.D.
Associate Director of Post Doctoral Training, Clinical Supervisor
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (Lic. PSY29916)
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™
Dr. Zaha’s role at Compass includes providing individual DBT treatment and skills coaching sessions, conducting DBT skills group, participating in weekly team consultation and supervision, and developing the teen residential program.
Dr. Zaha mentors post-doctoral psychologists through Compass’ Comprehensive DBT Fellowship training program. She has also provided individual, group, skills coaching, and family therapies at residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient levels of care and supervision to residential staff at Compass Behavioral Health since 2017. Dr. Zaha was intensively trained in DBT, CBT, ACT, and CBASP during her practicum at Harbor-UCLA in 2008-2009, under the direction of Lynn McFarr, Ph.D. Dr. Zaha’s internship was completed at Metropolitan State Hospital (APA Accredited), in Norwalk, California, in which she helped to train and develop an inpatient DBT team, and provided DBT services to patients on a specialized unit.
Her graduate studies focused on Family Psychology and Adolescent Identity Formation and emphasized multicultural and spiritual integration. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University (APA Accredited) with her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2010. She worked as a Psychological Assistant at Clearview Residential DBT Program in Los Angeles, California for six years during which she aided in transitioning the residential program from a psychodynamic model to DBT. She trained staff members in DBT interventions, including skills coaching, and crisis intervention along with serving as an individual and group therapist. She has been directly supervised and intensively trained in DBT-Prolonged Exposure by developer Melanie Harned, Ph.D. and has a special interest and experience in assessing and treating trauma.
In addition, she has received advanced training in DBT for specific populations, including for substance use, eating disorders, adolescents, and emotionally dysregulated families. She has been formally trained in Behavior Activation, as well as Mindful Self-Compassion by developers Kristin Neff, Ph.D. and Chris Germer, Ph.D. and in Exposure and Response Prevention by developer Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D. Dr. Zaha also currently works as a Qualified Medical Evaluator and provides psychological evaluations for adults with industrial injuries.
Her true north and greatest joy is her new baby Farah.
HER TRAINING
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Minor in Religious Studies), Cum Laude, Azusa Pacific University
- Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, specialty in Family Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
- Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, specialty in Family Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
- Comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Intensively Trained in DBT-Prolonged Exposure
- Comprehensively trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Intensively Trained in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) by Dr. Daniel Moran
- Comprehensively trained in Exposure-Response Prevention for OCD by Dr. Jonathan Abramowtiz, founding editor and chief of OCD Medical Journal
- Trained in Attachment-Based Family Therapy by treatment developer Dr. Guy Diamond at Drexel University
HER SUMMITS
- DBT- Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™
HER TRUE NORTHDr. Zaha’s passions and personal interests include yoga, family, ukulele, dancing, writing, and mindfulness meditation.
A family of professionals and caring guides.
Contact us to find out more.
Professional Resources
American Psychiatric Association (APA)
888.357.7924 or 703.907.7300
apa@psych.org
www.psych.org
American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
Office: 202.966.7300
Fax: 202.966.2891
www.aacap.org
Behavioral Tech
DBT referral, training and resources
206.675.8588
www.behavioraltech.com
information@behavioraltech.com
Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified
Robert O. Friedel, M.D.
(Resources and news about BPD)
www.bpddemystified.com
Practice Ground
Online learning community
for DBT professionals
www.practiceground.org
BPD World
www.bpdworld.org
General: mail@bpdworld.org
Support: support@bpdworld.org
Books and Publications
Bateman, Anthony, MA, FRC, and Peter Fonagy, Ph.D., FBA. Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Mentalization-based Treatment. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004.
Bateman, Anthony, MA, FRC Psych, and Peter Fonagy, Ph.D., FBA. Handbook of Mentalizing in Mental Health Practice. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub., 2012.
Bleiberg, Efrain, MD. Treating Personality Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Relational Approach. New York: Guilford, 2004.
Bockian, Neil R., Valerie Porr, and Nora Elizabeth. Villagran. New Hope for People with Borderline Personality Disorder. Roseville, CA: Prima, 2002.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
Dimeff, Linda A., and Kelly Koerner. Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Practice: Applications across Disorders and Settings. New York: Guilford, 2007.
Goleman, Daniel. Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them?
A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. New York: Bantam, 2003.
Goleman, Daniel. Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions, and Health. Boston: Shambhala, 1997.
Gunderson, John G., MD, and Paul S. Links. Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Guide. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric, 2008.
Gunderson, John G., MD, and Perry D. Hoffman. Understanding and Treating Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Professionals and Families. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub., 2005.
Hoffman, Perry D., Ph.D., and Penny Steiner-Grossman, Ed.D., MPH. Borderline Personality Disorder: Meeting the Challenges to Successful Treatment. Binghamton, NY: Haworth, 2007.
Judd, Patricia Hoffman, and Thomas H. McGlashan. A Developmental Model of Borderline Personality Disorder: Understanding Variations in Course and Outcome. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub., 2003.
Koerner, Kelly. Doing Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Practical Guide. New York: Guilford, 2012.
Krawitz, Roy, and Wendy Jackson. Borderline Personality Disorder. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008.
Kreger, Randi, and Erik Gunn. The ABC’s of BPD : The Basics of Borderline Personality Disorder. Milwaukee: Eggshells, 2007.
Linehan, Marsha, Ph.D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford, 1993.
Linehan, Marsha, Ph.D. Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford, 1993.
McKay, Matthew, Ph.D., Jeffrey C. Wood, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Brantley, MD.
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation & Distress Tolerance. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2007.
Mondimore, Francis Mark, MD, and Patrick Kelly, MD. Borderline Personality Disorder: New Reasons for Hope. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2011.
Moskovitz, MD., Richard A. Lost in the Mirror An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder. Dallas, TX: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2001.
Paris, Joel, MD. Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide to Evidence-based Practice. New York: Guilford, 2008.
Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2001.
Preston, John, Psy.D. Integrative Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder: Effective, Symptom-focused Techniques, Simplified for Private Practice. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2006.
Pryor, Karen. Don’t Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training. 3rd ed. Dorking, Surrey: Ringpress, 2006.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Borderline Personality Disorder.
Videos
Andrew Solomon: Love, No Matter What. Perf. Andrew Solomon.
TED. TED Conferences, LLC, Apr. 2013
DBT Peer Connections Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Video Series. Rachel Gill. Youtube. 2014
If Only We Had Known: A Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder (5 DVD set) Dawkins Productions. 2014.
It’s Not About the Nail. Posted by Jason Headley. YouTube. 22 May 2013.
May BPD Awareness Video Series. NEABPD. Alan Fruzzetti.
Why Empathy Is More Powerful Than Sympathy. By Cate Matthews. Perf. Brene Brown. HuffPost Heathy Living. Huffington Post, 12 Dec.