Director & Founder

Deborah Spiegel MT-BC

Hi. I was introduced to DBT in 2001 when working at the state hospital on a DBT team. I received training from Behavioral Tech as part of the treatment team, and gained 11 years of experience as a DBT skills group leader in that workplace. Inspired by my experience of being a music therapist on a DBT team, I started offering training for music therapists. I am now known as a leading expert in the field of DBT Informed Music Therapy. I've spoken, presented workshops, and delivered trainings on music therapy and DBT skills nationwide since 2009.

Director of The Spiegel Academy, author of Creative DBT Activities Using Music: Interventions for Enhancing Engagement and Effectiveness in Therapy, (with Lauren Bonavitacola and Suzanne Makary) I am passionate about supporting music therapists in integrating DBT into their work to expand the reach of our profession into this arena.

Since the time that I was first introduced to DBT, the amount of research on DBT and its effectiveness with various populations has exploded as has the popularity of its use. The need for trained music therapists in this field is growing which is why I created this training program and have run it for so many years. As the program has expanded I've brought in a team of experts to support music therapist who participate in the program, supervising their learning of DBT and applying it in their practice.

Supervising Clinician

Lauren Bonavitacola, PsyD, MT-BC

... has been providing supervision and training for participants in our DBT Informed Music Therapy Program since 2012.

Dr. Bonavitacola is a psychologist, DBT-Linehan Board of Certification Certified Clinician™, and board-certified music therapist with a private DBT practice. She worked for many years for Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants of Westchester and Manhattan (CBC), an outpatient CBT- and DBT-based treatment, training, and consultation center. She was the Director of Trauma-Focused Treatment Programs at CBC, working with adolescents, adults, couples, families, and schools. She now has her own practice.

Dr. Bonavitacola has expertise and specialized training in the delivery of evidence-based treatments for anxiety, mood, substance use, eating, and personality disorders across the lifespan. She specializes in the implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and associated conditions, as well as CBT for anxiety and mood disorders, particularly Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adolescents and adults.

Skills Group Facilitator

Suzanne Makary, MT-BC

...is a Board- Certified Music Therapist who facilitates experiential DBT skills training groups for participants of the DBT Informed Music Therapy program.

She has spent her career serving adults with mental health challenges. She completed her internship in 1997 at Allentown State Hospital. Since that opportunity, Suzanne has worked with an interdisciplinary team in the Partial Hospitalization setting.

Throughout her journey as a professional, Suzanne designs and leads daily music therapy groups to assist in learning and reaching wellness goals with her clients. She found Linehan’s work inspiring and used concepts to help frame her work.

In 2017, Suzanne completed the yearlong “DBT Informed Music Therapy” Program through The Spiegel Academy. As a DBT-Informed music therapist, Suzanne has created a curriculum for the Innovations Partial Hospital Program at St. Luke’s University Health Network focused on teaching DBT skills daily. Which is why she was excited to come back and share not just the skills, but also what she has done with what she has learned since completing the program, with participants of the DBT informed Music Therapy Training.

Facilitating DBT Clinicians

Ethan Lechner LCSWA, PhD

...is an intensively trained DBT therapist, who is here for answering all of your DBT questions as you study the skills in the Training Program. He works with Guilford Counseling, PLLC, in Greensboro, NC. He holds a Masters of Social Work and a PhD in Musicology and is also a teacher of Buddhist meditation.

Ethan has experience working with clients recovering from trauma and experiencing loss and health changes. In his first years of practice, he worked primarily with the elderly in various settings, and now works with clients of various ages and backgrounds. He loves the depth and adaptability of the DBT skills kit. In his therapy practice he is committed to meeting clients in a deeply person-centered, collaborative process.

Kim Johnson LMHC, MT-BC

Kim Johnson is a licensed mental health counselor and board certified music therapist currently practicing in Massachusetts. She received her master’s degree from Lesley University in 2017 in clinical mental health counseling with a specialization in music therapy.

During her time at a community mental health agency, she completed an intensive DBT training from Behavioral Tech in January 2021 and has since been implementing both comprehensive DBT, including individual work and facilitating DBT skills groups, and DBT informed therapy, often integrating music therapy interventions. She currently practices in a private practice outpatient mental health setting, working with both adolescents and adults, often with LGBTQ+ individuals.

In addition, Kim specializes in songwriting interventions. She also has recorded an album of guided mindfulness meditations featuring ukulele titled “Tiny Happy Guitar” as a free resource for clinicians and the general public alike.

Kim is a proud team member of The Spiegel Academy and facilitates the Q&A supervision meetings with Ethan.

Bailey Hinz, MA, MT-BC

...facilitates our monthly DBT consultation group for music therapists. She is a Board Certified Music Therapist, currently furthering her education in Social Work. She is a DBT Informed music therapist, and is here to support participants as they learn and apply the skills.

In 2013, Bailey received her master’s degree in music therapy from Colorado State University; her graduate thesis was on the utilization of therapeutic music for young women with negative body perception and disordered eating.

Bailey has had the opportunity to work with a variety of populations including mental health, at risk youth, substance abuse, veterans’ needs, hospice, autism spectrum, developmental disability, and diseases of aging. Her greatest passion and life’s purpose, however, lies in mental/ behavioral health. She loves incorporating music and other creative arts to affect meaningful change in the lives of individuals she serves.

To continue her growth as a clinician, Bailey received her designation as a DBT informed Music Therapist through Behavioral Tech and The Spiegel Academy in 2017. She is passionate about DBT and music therapy and is excited to support you in your application of the skills in your life and your practice.

Stephen King, MT-BC

The small group practice sessions in part 3 are led by Stephen King, an amazing group facilitator, and a music therapist who has a wealth of experience using DBT in his practice.

Stephen explored his interest in Music and Psychology with his undergraduate work at Harding University, after which he studied the Masters in Music Therapy program at Texas Woman’s University.

His Music Therapy career allowed for experience with older adults, addiction and recovery, children with developmental challenges, and most recently adolescents with behavioral and emotion regulation difficulties.

In early 2018, Stephen enrolled in The Spiegel Academy in conjunction with Behavioral Tech, to earn his designation as DBT informed Music Therapist.

Combining his interest in electronic music and technology, Stephen brings unique skills to the community of Music Therapy with sessions both online and in-person.

Who Are the Experts Providing

DBT Informed Music Therapy Training?