Suzanne M. Wallach

Ruth Avalos

MA, LCSW

Staff Therapist

DBT Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician

Ruth is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who uses a compassionate, open, and strengths-based approach to therapy with her clients. Ruth specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy with adolescents and adults experiencing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, personality disorders, and complex trauma. Ruth also utilizes evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Ruth received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis.

While in her graduate program, Ruth completed extensive training in DBT, CBT, PE and Motivational Interviewing through the clinical team at Sparlin Mental Health, under the supervision of Ryan Lindsay, LCSW. Ruth also completed DBT skills training through DBT Missouri, through the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Lastly, she also participated in ACT training through Washington University in St. Louis. After moving back to her hometown, Los Angeles, Ruth worked as a primary DBT therapist at The Women’s Center at Clearview Treatment Programs. She received monthly consultations with Charlie Swenson, MD to ensure that she was providing treatment adherent to the model.

 Ruth is certified through the DBT Linehan Board of Certification as a DBT Provider. Certification through the Linehan Board of Certification is an involved assessment to demonstrate the application of knowledge to the performance and delivery of DBT treatment. It is a valuable reassurance to referring clinicians and to the public that other knowledgeable experts in the field of DBT have successfully assessed Ruth. This is the gold standard for DBT providers and certifies that Ruth has achieved the highest standards of clinical excellence in the practice of DBT.

Ruth has extensive experience in providing individual therapy, co-leading groups, and phone coaching with adolescents and adults in community-based, outpatient, and residential settings. She is also fully trained in Prolonged Exposure, a modality of trauma treatment to specifically treat PTSD among high-risk and multi-problem clients who are receiving DBT and CBT. The DBT PE protocol is based on Prolonged Exposure therapy and was adapted to fit the needs of this complex client population. DBT with the DBT PE protocol is a comprehensive treatment designed to help these tremendously suffering individuals recover from trauma and build lives they experience as worth living.  Ruth is fully trained in this protocol, which enables her to treat complex, treatment-refractory cases that many therapists would turn away.

Ruth is passionate about providing evidence-based treatment that is empathic and adherent to help each client build a life worth living. Ruth is currently a member of Dr. Wallach’s comprehensive DBT Team as a primary DBT therapist, and DBT skills leader, as well as a trainer and supervisor for other therapists and pre-licensed therapists on the team.  She serves as SoCal DBT’s Coordinator of Training and Fidelity, a role in which she thrives at keeping the team at SoCal DBT and its DBT program as adherent as possible to Linehan’s model, ensuring the best outcomes for all our patients.  Ruth provides continued training and feedback to all of SoCal DBT’s associates and licensed therapists and helps move each therapist toward the goal of Linehan Board Certification.   Ruth is also a therapist in her private practice within Dr. Wallach’s group practice, treating adolescents, adults, families, and couples dealing with a variety of issues that benefit from evidence-based treatment.

Sarah Gordis

MA, LCSW

Staff Therapist

Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who uses a reciprocal, non-judgmental, and motivational approach to therapy with her clients. Sarah specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy with adults experiencing personality disorders, depression, anxiety, chemical dependency, and eating disorders.

Sarah received her master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from Columbia University in New York and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Linguistics from Emory University in Atlanta. While at Columbia University, she participated in the DBT Training Program and Lab under the supervision of Dr. André Ivanoff, president of Behavioral Tech, and completed her intensive DBT training in 2019 with Randy Wolbert and Gwen Abney-Cunningham. She enjoys practicing DBT because of its commitment to a dialectical worldview, mindfulness, and the use of the therapist’s genuine self to assist individuals in cultivating a life worth living.

Sarah received additional clinical training in exposure therapy, motivational interviewing, and cognitive-behavioral advanced clinical methods. Sarah also participated

in specialized training in Radically Open DBT for disorders of overcontrol through Radically Open Blended Learning Ltd. and DBT for eating disorders through Oshawa Psychotherapy Training Institute. Sarah has significant experience providing individual therapy, leading groups, and providing coaching in outpatient and residential settings. While completing her masters, she worked as a DBT therapist at Brooklyn Heights Behavioral Associates, providing individual psychotherapy, group skills training, and phone coaching to individual struggling with emotion dysregulation, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and interper

sonal conflict. Sarah also worked for the NYC Department of Education as a school social worker for middle school students who had been suspended from school. Prior to being a team member at SoCal DBT, Sarah most recently worked as a primary DBT therapist at Clearview Treatment Program’s Dual Diagnosis residential program for adults with co-occuring mental health and substance use disorders during which she received monthly consultations with Charlie Swenson, MD to ensure adherence to the DBT model.

Sarah is a primary DBT therapist at SoCal DBT, and a DBT skills class leader.  She is available to see comprehensive DBT clients ages 15 and up, and available to meet with parents or loved ones of clients in our comprehensive programs for adolescents and adults.

Sarah is passionate about providing effective, evidence-based treatment for clients using warmth, respect, and honesty, and enjoys helping clients create and maintain their lives worth living.

Sofia Gomez Botero

MA, AMFT

Associate Staff Therapist

Sofia is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who uses a warm, non-judgmental approach to help clients achieve their goals.  Sofia views therapy as a dynamic, collaborative process of healing and self-exploration, and she brings compassion and curiosity into the therapy room to create a safe environment where clients can engage in that deep process.  Sofia offers culturally attuned and LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy to adolescents, adults, couples, and families seeking help with personality disorders, relational or complex trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, and eating disorders.  As a bilingual therapist, Sofia is happy to work with clients in English, Spanish, or both.

Sofia has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, where she majored in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology and minored in Health Policy.  After spending three years on the East Coast working with healthcare companies as a consultant for Deloitte Consulting, Sofia realized her true passion was in working with clients, and she then completed her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Southern California.  Sofia began her training in a community mental health setting at Pelican Cove Counseling Center, where she provided long-term psychodynamic therapy to adolescents, adults, and couples for over a year before graduating from USC and joining Suzanne Wallach & Associates and SoCal DBT.

Sofia completed her foundational training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy at Marsha Linehan’s Behavioral Tech.  She is completing her DBT mentorship and prelicensure hours under the supervision of Dr. Suzanne Wallach at SoCal DBT, where she is also receiving comprehensive training as a DBT skills group leader, primary therapist, and team member within the SoCal DBT program.  In SoCal DBT’s comprehensive DBT program, Sofia sees teens aged 13 and up, adults across the lifespan, couples, and families, and provides parents with parent skills training.  In 2024 Sofia was trained in Prolonged Exposure by Melanie S. Harned, who developed this modality of trauma treatment to specifically treat PTSD among high-risk and multi-problem clients who are receiving DBT. The DBT PE protocol is based on Prolonged Exposure therapy and was adapted to fit the needs of this complex client population. DBT with the DBT PE protocol is a comprehensive treatment designed to help these tremendously suffering individuals recover from trauma and build lives they experience as worth living.  Being trained in PE for DBT enables Sofia to treat complex trauma cases that many other DBT therapists cannot treat past Stage 1 of DBT.

In private practice at Suzanne Wallach & Associates, Sofia takes a trauma-informed approach to working with clients aged 6 and up, incorporating psychodynamic, family systems, play therapy, and DBT modalities. With all her clients, Sofia strives to build relationships characterized by warmth, honesty, compassion, and the highest quality of clinical care.

Ruby Schiff

LMFT

Staff Therapist

Ruby Schiff is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who is passionate about providing therapy to people across the lifespan, from young children to adults and families. Ruby works with a variety of mental health issues, including personality disorders, relationship challenges, anxiety, depression, trauma, sexuality, grief, life transitions, and body image issues.

Ruby earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and Gender Studies from Kenyon College in Ohio and holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. While at USC, she concentrated on treating low-income young adults at Pelican Cove Counseling Center, a psychodynamic training center in Alhambra, California.  After graduation, she worked in community mental health at The Village Family Services in North Hollywood, California.  While employed there, she provided therapy intake assessments, ran groups for underserved youth and families in the community, and coordinated with treatment teams to provide wraparound care for acute client cases.

Ruby was comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Dr. Shari Manning at Treatment Implementation Collaborative.  Dr. Manning is one of the nation’s leading DBT experts and SoCal DBT’s expert consultant.  Ruby is completing her DBT mentorship and prelicensure hours under the supervision of Dr. Suzanne Wallach at SoCal DBT, where she is also receiving comprehensive training as a DBT skills group leader, primary therapist, and team member within the SoCal DBT program.  At SoCal DBT, Ruby sees children ages 4 to 12, teens, adults, parents, partners, and families.

Ruby has also completed Dr. Melanie Harned’s Prolonged Exposure for DBT, which is a specific model of Prolonged Exposure adapted to DBT to treat PTSD among high-risk and multi-problem clients who are receiving DBT. The DBT PE protocol is based on Prolonged Exposure therapy and was adapted to fit the needs of this complex client population. DBT with the DBT PE protocol is a comprehensive treatment designed to help these tremendously suffering individuals recover from trauma and build lives they experience as worth living.  Ruby has also completed DBT for Parents, Couples, and Families taught by Dr. Alan Fruzzetti of McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.  She has received onsite training from Dr. Wallach in DBT for Children and plans to be formally trained in 2026.

Ruby’s approach to non-DBT cases is integrative, and she draws from a multitude of therapeutic modalities to best serve the individual needs of her clients.   She sees ages 6 through adults, as well as families, and each session is uniquely tailored to the individual or family. She uses a socioculturally attuned lens to address not only the client but also their cultural context. Through creating a warm environment and a safe space to foster an authentic therapeutic alliance together, Ruby believes that therapy can provide a warm environment for clients to begin to heal their inner worlds and discover their emotional needs.

Ruby is available for sessions primarily in our Beverly Hills location and in Calabasas on Thursdays.

Emily LaMear

LMFT

Staff Therapist

Emily La Mear is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who provides compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals and families navigating emotional and behavioral challenges. Her clinical work is rooted in creating a safe, collaborative space where clients feel supported in building insight, developing effective coping skills, and fostering deeper connections in their lives.  Emily is primarily based in our Calabasas office, with additional presence in Beverly Hills, and is available for virtual clients.

Emily supports clients in DBT ages 12 through the lifespan, specializing in emotional dysregulation, self-harm, suicidality, trauma, and relationship issues.  She is foundationally trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) through Marsha Linehan’s Behavioral Tech, the gold standard of training for a DBT therapist. She draws from additional modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and trauma-informed care. Her integrative approach allows her to tailor treatment to the unique needs, values, and goals of each client.  In Dr. Wallach’s comprehensive program, Emily sees adolescents, adults, parents, families, and is also a skills group leader.

In her private practice, Emily’s therapeutic style is warm, nonjudgmental, and strength-based. She sees clients as young as six through the lifespan, and she believes that meaningful change occurs when clients feel seen, understood, and empowered in the therapeutic process. In her work with individuals and families, she brings a thoughtful balance of structure and flexibility, helping clients not only stabilize but grow toward lasting wellness.

In addition to providing individual therapy, Emily has extensive experience with family systems work, psychoeducation, and skills-based group facilitation. She values working closely with clients’ support systems and collaborating with multidisciplinary care teams when appropriate to ensure continuity of care.

Whether you’re seeking support through a period of crisis or hoping to build a stronger foundation for emotional resilience, Emily brings clinical expertise and genuine care to help you move forward.

Lindsey Cooper

MA, LMFT

Staff Therapist

Lindsey Cooper is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who uses a warm, relational, and non-judgmental approach to support teens, adults, and the queer community, providing a safe space to explore their authentic selves and create meaningful change. Lindsey utilizes various evidence-based approaches including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Brainspotting, Mindfulness, and Humanistic Therapy. Her approach includes a feminist, LGBTQ+ affirmative, and culturally responsive approach.

Lindsey holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Services from Mount Saint Mary’s University. While at Antioch, Lindsey trained at Airport Marina Counseling Services and helped to create and implement the LGBTQ track. She was originally trained and supervised in DBT by Erin Lotz, LCSW and Pam Jacobson, LMFT in 2018 and completed level one and two Brainspotting training with Steve Sawyer, LCSW, and Dr. Pie Frey. She has additional training in ADHD and neurodiversity-affirming therapy from Bobbi-Jo Molokken (LISW, CCTP, ADHD-CCSP) and Margaret Proctor (MS, OTR/L) from Learn, Play Thrive, LLC.  Lindsey completed her DBT Foundational Training in 2024 through Behavioral Tech, the DBT training site founded by Dr. Linehan and the gold standard for training clinicians in DBT.

Lindsey has eight years of experience working as a therapist in residential, outpatient, and PHP settings specializing in addiction and trauma. She served as the Clinical Director of Lakehouse Recovery Center (2022). She worked with Finney Consulting as an Associate Therapeutic Placement Consultant from 2017 to 2020 helping individuals and families navigate therapeutic options for children, adolescents, and adults in crisis. She has served as a primary therapist in another Los Angeles comprehensive DBT program and as a trauma specialist at Serenity Trauma Treatment Center. At SoCal DBT, Lindsey is a primary DBT therapist on Dr. Wallach’s comprehensive DBT team, working with adults, teens, and parents, and also is available to see non-DBT clients upon request.  She works primarily in the Calabasas location but is available to all clients through virtual sessions.