Molly Ackerly
MA, LCSW
Staff Therapist | DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician
Molly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She uses a warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental approach to therapy and believes in enhancing individual strengths to help her clients reach their goals. Molly specializes in providing Dialectical Behavior Therapy to adults and adolescents seeking support for mood disorders, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse, and trauma. She also uses a variety of evidenced-based treatments including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindful Self-Compassion. She has special interest in life transitions, relationship issues, and fostering emotional expression through creativity and art.
Molly holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University in New York with a specialty in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from George Washington University. While at Columbia University, Molly completed the DBT Training Program and Lab under the supervision of Dr. André Ivanoff, president of Behavioral Tech. Molly completed her intensive DBT training in 2016 with Randy Wolbert & Gwen Abney-Cunningham at Columbia University. Additionally, Molly has completed trainings in Mindful Self-Compassion with Kristen Neff & Chris Germer, Family Connections Leadership with Alan Fruzzetti, DBT for Adolescents, Young Adults and Families with Alec Miller, Case Conceptualization & DBT Adherence with Emily Cooney, Optimizing Eating Disorder Treatments with DBT with Amy Kalasunas, Prolonged Exposure for PTSD & Trauma with Drs. Lata McGinn and Lauren Bonavitacola, Complicated Grief Treatment (CGT), Motivational Interviewing, Prolonged Exposure Therapy with Edna Foa, and cognitive behavioral advanced clinical methods.
Molly is certified through the DBT LInehan Board of Certification as a DBT Provider. DBT-LBC 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 Molly. This is the gold standard for DBT providers, and certifies that Molly has achieved the highest standards of clinical excellence in the practice of DBT.
Molly has seven years of experience working in Residential, Partial Hospitalization, and Outpatient settings as a Primary Therapist. As a Primary Therapist, Molly coordinated care of complex cases presenting with co-morbid mental health disorders. Prior to licensure, Molly worked as a DBT intern at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT where she provided individual psychotherapy, sat on a multidisciplinary DBT consultation team, and co-led DBT skills groups. While at Silver Hill, Molly also worked as a Residential Counselor in the Transitional Living Program to provide milieu skills coaching to adults and adolescents with co-occurring disorders. Molly also previously worked on an inpatient unit at Four Winds Hospital in Katonah, NY as a Milieu Manager and Mental Health Worker. At Four Winds, Molly provided DBT milieu skills coaching and crisis de-escalation to adolescents with severe mental illness in an acute care setting. Molly is currently a member of Dr. Wallach’s comprehensive DBT Team as a primary DBT therapist and also a DBT skills leader, as well as a therapist in her private practice within Dr. Wallach’s group practice.
