About The DBT Path Team
Credentials & training
The credentialed, published DBT Path team
More than a faculty, the DBT Path team is a close-knit group of teachers, coaches, and licensed clinicians who have spent years helping emotionally sensitive people put dialectical behavior therapy skills into practice. Since we launched the first online DBT skills class of its kind in 2013, students from around the world have learned alongside us in a supportive, judgment-free space.
The DBT Path team brings together New Harbinger published authors, licensed DBT therapists, and trained skills coaches, many of whom have walked this path themselves. Founder Debbie DeMarco Bennett, MA, trained through Behavioral Tech, the organization founded by DBT's creator Dr. Marsha Linehan; Dr. Kathryn Holt trained in DBT at Columbia University; and our consultant and workshop co-facilitator, Amanda L. Smith, LCSW-S, is trained at the highest levels of Behavioral Tech. Together we teach the original online DBT skills classes, delivered worldwide since 2013.
More than our credentials, what unites us is lived experience. Many of us first found these skills during our own hardest seasons, and that perspective shapes how we teach: with patience, encouragement, and deep respect for how much courage it takes to show up and try something new. Whether you are just beginning your journey or returning to strengthen a practice you started long ago, you will be supported by people who truly understand.
Our instructors continue their own training and consultation so that what you learn always reflects current, evidence-based DBT. We hold ourselves to that standard not because a curriculum requires it, but because we remember how much it mattered to have someone explain these skills clearly and kindly, without judgment, in the moments we needed them most. That is the experience we hope to offer every student who joins us.
New Harbinger published authors
Behavioral Tech
DBT training at Columbia University
Teaching online since 2013
Meet Our Team
A peer-led teaching team of published authors, licensed therapists, and trained DBT skills coaches who have walked this path themselves.
DBT Class Teachers
Debbie DeMarco Bennett, MA
Founder & Teacher since 2013
Debbie is a well-known author, DBT skills teacher, and certified Somatic Healing Practitioner with deep expertise in supporting emotionally sensitive individuals. She writes under the pen name Debbie Corso and is widely recognized for her work on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), borderline traits, and trauma recovery.
She completed Dr. Marsha Linehan's course for DBT skills instructors through Behavioral Tech, the training organization founded by Dr. Linehan, and also completed Radically Open DBT (RO DBT) Level 1 through PESI. She holds a Master of Arts in Consciousness and Human Potential, with a focus on emotional resilience, nervous system regulation, and holistic healing, and has completed Peer Specialist 101: Research, Core Competencies, and Ethics through Magellan Health Services.
In addition to her formal training, Debbie is a certified life coach and researcher on ancestral and intergenerational trauma. Her work blends lived experience with practical tools, helping people regulate emotions, build effective boundaries, and break free of self-defeating patterns.
Trained in DBT through both lived experience and formal instructor certification, Debbie is a thriving emotionally sensitive person who openly shares her personal journey of recovery. She no longer meets the criteria for borderline personality disorder, and credits DBT skills, somatic practices, and nervous system recalibration as key parts of her healing path, all of which inform her teaching today.
Kathryn Holt, PhD, LCSW
Co-Teacher since 2015
Kathryn is a psychotherapist who helps people struggling with body hatred, depression, and anxiety by listening more closely to feelings and deeper needs. She uses a depth psychological and behavioral approach that integrates the whole person, including body, mind, soul, and spirit, as a way of accessing your own wisdom and self-trust.
Kathryn studied DBT at Columbia University in New York City and completed her MA and PhD in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She now lives and practices in Longmont, CO with her husband and daughters.
Clinical Support
Amanda Smith, LCSW
DBT Team Consultant
Intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy through Dr. Marsha Linehan's Behavioral Tech certification process, Amanda is a trusted expert in the world of Borderline Personality Disorder treatment and DBT. She facilitates our team's DBT Consultation Groups to support our staff as they serve, encourage, and support an emotionally wounded population.
DBT Path often refers students who are looking for an individual therapist or BPD treatment center to Amanda's treatment consultation practice, Hope For BPD. While she primarily works with individuals who engage in self-harming or self-sabotaging behaviors, she is happy to meet with anyone who is open to finding more meaning and purpose in their life.
Serena Lucchesi, E-RYT
Somatic Educator
Serena is a Somatic Educator in the Thomas Hanna tradition, a yoga teacher, and a TRE® Provider certified by Dr. David Berceli. She studied with renowned trauma researcher Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Judith Lasater, and Liz Koch, among other respected masters.
Serena's teaching nurtures mindfulness, alignment, wholeness, and fun. She facilitates monthly mind-body activities for students and graduates of DBT Path. Participants appreciate Serena's ability to help them court their parasympathetic nervous systems in order to experience deep relaxation.
Study Hall Staff
Currently on leave
Kim
Pre-Class Chat Co-Facilitator
Kim has been part of DBT Path for over 10 years, beginning as a student and growing into a series of leadership roles within our online community, including Senior Student, Group Moderator, and Admin. She co-facilitates our warm, welcoming pre-class chat alongside Debbie, helping students feel settled and supported before class begins.
Kim completed Dr. Marsha Linehan's DBT Skills Training program, which deepened her passion for DBT and for supporting our student community. She is currently on medical leave, and we look forward to welcoming her back.
Krisanna, LMSW
DBT Homework Specialist
Krisanna earned her master's in social work (MSW) at Fordham University and her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut. Throughout her professional journey she has worked with countless clients of different ages, incorporating DBT activities into their treatment and her own everyday life.
Krisanna draws on her skills and mental health experience when reviewing students' written DBT skills homework, responding with supportive, uplifting, and encouraging feedback.
Fluffy Mascot
Marshmallow “Marshall Linehan”
DBT Skills Soother & Purrfecter
Marshmallow “Marshall Linehan” made his first appearance in June of 2024 upon his adoption. Since then, his presence is frequently requested at our pre-class chats and other class events. Marshmallow enjoys being held like a baby to delight and soothe team members and students alike. He looks forward to meeting you in class!
What we ask of you
We are a peer-led psychoeducational class offering evidence-based methods. To get the most from your experience, we ask that you bring:
An open mindA willingness to consider new perspectives.
An open heartCompassion for yourself as you learn and grow.
A spirit of curiosityExploring the skills without judgment.
Readiness to practicePreparing to learn and apply changes when you begin.
Please note
Our DBT skills classes are psychoeducational and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diagnosis or condition. We do not provide therapy (and are not a replacement for therapy), counseling, or crisis intervention.
Our coaches and teachers are trained to teach you DBT skills, and our licensed therapists co-facilitate classes, contribute to the course lessons, answer questions, run workshops, and provide support to our coaching team. They do not provide individual or group therapy through the site.
Ready to begin your DBT path?
Join the original online DBT skills class, taught with warmth by people who understand emotional sensitivity from the inside.
Enroll now Or watch real student testimonials