Rhonda Allenger
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Feeling stuck? Has your rigid thinking and self control gotten in the way of fully living?
Adhering to rules, delayed gratification and structure are generally supportive constructs for being successful. However, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Before starting Allenger Dialectic Therapies, my work history included being a mental health clinical director in a rural Washington community behavioral health center. I have over 23 years of experience in community mental health.
My job duties have been diverse-- engagement with clients and allied professionals, development of effective service delivery, implementation of evidence-based practice- DBT, RO-DBT skills class and individual therapy, supervision of clinicians, diagnosis and assessment, and crisis work/involuntary commitment investigations.
I attended my first DBT training in 2000, and found this model that resonated with me.
I have attended trainings with Marsha Linehan and other faculty from the Behavioral Tech Institute. This model was originally developed to treat individuals that struggled with chronically suicidal and self-harming behaviors. Over time research has shown that it is also effective in treating a wide range of other disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders.
I have facilitated DBT skills training groups, worked with clients individually, and had regular peer consultation regarding this model.
I became interested in RO-DBT and the idea of over-control being a related but separate struggle, I noticed that in skills training groups there would regularly be a small number of people that were referred to the group that benefited from learning the skills, but did not seem to struggle with impulsive behaviors and were more rigid in their thinking.
Thomas Lynch’s research helped me to better understand and serve clients with over control issues more effectively.
I gained skills with RO-DBT by completing RO-DBT intensive training in 2014 with Thomas Lynch.
I have been providing individual and group skills class since that time in a community behavioral health outpatient practice.
I have regular consultation with other clinicians that have also been trained in RO-DBT.