Dear DBT

Erin and Suzanne

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 02:02:00 GMT

This week, Erin is joined by Dr. Suzanne Davino, expert in the mental health needs of young adults and their parents. Together, they take listener questions on how to reconnect with a young adult child where there has been significant distancing, and how to deal with nonstop jokes/teasing from an uncle on a family trip.

To learn more about Suzanne's Ridgefield, CT-based practice, please visit her website at https://www.whitecedar-cbt.com/. As always, if you would like to submit a question for yourself, please visit https://www.deardbt.com/submissions or email submissions@deardbt.com. Please rate, review, and subscribe, and check out Dear DBT's instagram page: @deardbt.pod.

Erin and Line

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:02:00 GMT

In this week's episode, Erin is joined by Dr. Line Aasland of Oslo, Norway. Her first international co-host! Line first learned more about adolescent DBT in New York, and started a program from the ground up back in Oslo, and today, Line teaches our audience a little bit about what might make DBT look a little bit different in Norway, while still reflecting on what is universal.

Today's listener questions include what to do when you are still close with an ex's family, even though you've moved on to another relationship; and, how to address a friend who has a tendency to lecture you on how to live your life.

To learn more about Line's practice, please visit her website at https://www.psykologaasland.com/, and give her a follow on Instagram (@guideline.psychology). If you have a question of your own for the show, please see https://www.deardbt.com/submissions, or email submissions@deardbt.com. (For our foreign language listeners, I'm sure that I can find a way to have them translated!)

Erin and Michelle

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 02:02:00 GMT

On this week's episode of Dear DBT, Erin is joined by her cousin, also a clinical psychologist: Dr. Michelle Schoenleber. Michelle and Erin cover listener questions on big life events: losses and weddings. One listener would like some guidance on how/if to repair a relationship with his father, his sole living parent, to minimize regret. Another listener has a Bridesmaids-esque bachelorette decision making challenge with two maids of honor who are not fans of compromise.

To submit your own question for Dear DBT's co-hosts, visit https://www.deardbt.com/submissions, or email submissions@deardbt.com. And if you have a minute, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell a friend!

Erin and Melyssa

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 02:04:00 GMT

In today's episode, Dr. Melyssa Mandelbaum joins Erin to take listener questions on where to make peace, and where to make noise with a mom's new boyfriend if you aren't a fan; and, what to do if you have information about possible infidelity in the early phases of a friend's relationship.

To learn more about Melyssa's international practice, Ascend Behavioral Therapy, please visit her website (https://www.ascendbehavioraltherapy.com/). If you have your own question that you would like to run by a couple of DBT therapists, please visit https://www.deardbt.com/submissions or email submissions@deardbt.com.

Episode 6: Erin and Gabrielle

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 02:02:00 GMT

For today's podcast, Gabrielle Sanderson, LMHC joins Erin as co-host! Together, Gabrielle and Erin address listener questions on how to get family members not to make too many comments on weight loss/appearance, and how to address a roommate issue when the roommate's SO is there all the time.

To learn more about Gabrielle's practice, visit https://www.noetictherapy.com/ or give her a follow: @noetic_therapy. If you have your own question you'd like to submit to the podcast, anonymously or otherwise, visit https://www.deardbt.com/submissions.

Episode 5: Erin and Connie

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 02:00:00 GMT

In Episode 5 of Dear DBT, Dr. Connie Abruzzese joins Erin as co-host. Together, they give you the DBT Five run-down for a person dealing with friction in a friendship following a divorce, and some unexpected behavior from a houseguest. For a more detailed explanation of the DBT Five, OR to submit a question of your own, please see https://www.deardbt.com/ or email submissions@deardbt.com.

To learn more about Dr. Abruzzese's practice, please visit her website at https://www.ceapsychology.com/.

Episode 4: Erin and Leigh

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 02:04:00 GMT

In Episode 4 of Dear DBT, Dr. Leigh Kwasny joins Erin as co-host. Erin and Leigh tackle listener questions on navigating holiday gift giving with in-laws (or grandparents in general) and what to do when a new friend starts talking about you using the DBT Five (five different options for responding to life's problems). For more on the DBT Five, please see https://www.deardbt.com/.

To learn more about either Leigh or Erin's practices, please see their websites at https://www.drleighkwasny.com/ or https://www.erinsparapaniphd.com/. To submit your own question to Dear DBT's co-hosts, please see the website or email submissions@deardbt.com.

Episode 3: Erin and Tali

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:03:00 GMT

On Episode 3 of Dear DBT, Drs. Erin Sparapani and Tali Wigod tackle your questions on problems that you might be having with other people and provide the DBT Five ways that you might respond to those problems! Today's listener questions include a wife who isn't sure how to approach her husband about their division of family roles, and a woman in her 20s who faces an unexpected problem with her boyfriend's mother. See our website (www.deardbt.com) for a further description of the DBT Five, or to submit your own question!

For more information about the co-hosts, please see their websites at https://www.mp-psychology.com/ and https://www.erinsparapaniphd.com/. Please rate, review, subscribe, and tell a friend!

Episode 2: Erin and Evvie

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 01:57:05 GMT

Welcome Back to Dear DBT! In Episode 2, Dr. Erin Sparapani is joined by her long-time colleague and friend, Dr. Evelyn (Evvie) Meier Lynch. Erin and Evvie rattle off some of their DBT Five responses to listener questions, and share a little about themselves along the way in Skills and Spills and Doorknob Confessions. This week's listener questions include a woman in her 60's wanting her friend to seek some therapy, and a hesitant joint birthday party host who wants a drama-free birthday.

To learn more about the DBT Five or to submit your own question, please visit https://www.deardbt.com/ or email submissions@deardbt.com. To learn more about either of your co-hosts, see their websites at https://gviproc.org/ or https://www.erinsparapaniphd.com/. Please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends!

Episode 1: Erin and Lauren

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 02:08:08 GMT

Drs. Erin Sparapani and Lauren Bonavitacola, DBT therapists, former teammates, forever friends, take on your questions in Episode 1 of Dear DBT! Dear DBT is a DBT-based advice podcast in which 2 DBT therapists (show creator, Dr. Erin Sparapani, and a rotating group of fabulous guests) go over listener questions about what to do with problems that you might run into with other people. Instead of coming up with 1 recommendation, you get the DBT Five! Tune in to figure out what those are!

To learn more about the podcast OR to submit a question, visit https://www.deardbt.com/. For more about the co-hosts, you can look at their websites: https://www.drlaurenbonavitacola.com/ and https://www.erinsparapaniphd.com/, or check out Lauren's instagram: @drlaurenbonavitacola. Like, review, subscribe, tell a friend, stay tuned!

Dear DBT Trailer

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:38:38 GMT

Coming July 2026: a new Dialectical Behavior Therapy-based advice podcast! Listen to the trailer to hear more about this DBT twist on classic advice columns. Hosted by Dr. Erin Sparapani, with different guests featured every week. To submit a question to the podcast, please visit https://www.deardbt.com/.