About Us
Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz, LCSW–R
Psychotherapist, Teacher, and Author
Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz, LCSW-R has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 40 years. She has been involved with cancer support organizations for the last 25 years. A cancer survivor and Zen student, Stuntz co-authored Coping with Cancer: DBT Skills to Manage Your Emotions – and Balance Uncertainty with Hope (Guilford Press, 2021) with Marsha Linehan, the developer of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Stuntz has partnered with Ronda Reitz, PhD to develop and implement curricula to teach these skills to patients and provide training for clinicians and organizations that offer them. Stuntz received a BA in Psychology from Cornell University, MSW from Smith College School for Social Work, and Psychoanalytic Certification from Westchester Center for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, where she remains on faculty.
© hollis rafkin-sax
Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP
Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, the developer of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Director Emeritus of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington. Her primary research interest is in the development and evaluation of evidence-based treatments for populations with high suicide risk and multiple, severe mental disorders. Dr. Linehan's contributions to suicide research and clinical psychology research have been recognized with numerous awards, including the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology and the Career/Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. She is also a recipient of the Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation and the James McKeen Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science. In her honor, the American Association of Suicidology created the Marsha Linehan Award for Outstanding Research in the Treatment of Suicidal Behavior. She is a Zen master.
Ronda Oswalt Reitz, PhD
Dr. Ronda Oswalt Reitz has been a leader in the delivery and implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for 25 years. Dr. Reitz is currently the Coordinator for DBT at the Missouri Department of Mental Health. In this role, she is responsible for the training, consultation, implementation, evaluation, and supervision of all DBT services statewide. Dr. Reitz is a highly sought-after international trainer and consultant in DBT for the BehavioralTech Institute, the company founded by Dr. Marsha Linehan. She is a board member and consultant to the Linehan Institute. She is a collaborator in the research and development of a curriculum for the use of DBT skills in coping with cancer.
Dr. Reitz received her doctorate in psychology from the University of Kansas in 1999. She has been a student of Rinzai Zen for over 20 years and studied under Roshi Marsha Linehan and Roshi Alice Cabotaje.
