Why Work With Maggie?

Maggie is jazzed to be:

• The first clinician in New York to become an RO DBT Senior Clinician

• The first art therapist on the RO DBT Senior Clinician Team

This advanced designation reflects extensive training, consultation, and demonstrated expertise in RO DBT.

She is deeply committed to helping individuals who “suffer in silence”—those whose struggles are often overlooked because of how capable they appear.

What Is RO DBT?

Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) is an evidence-based treatment designed to help individuals who struggle with emotional loneliness, overcontrol, and rigid coping patterns. While self-control is often seen as a strength, too much of it can become isolating. RO DBT focuses on helping people build authentic connection, flexibility, and openness, leading to more fulfilling relationships and a greater sense of ease in daily life.

Do You Struggle With Overcontrol?

RO DBT may be a good fit if you:

• Are highly driven, responsible, and achievement-oriented

• Tend toward perfectionism or high self-criticism

• Feel emotionally guarded or find it hard to express vulnerability

• Prefer structure and control, and struggle with uncertainty

• Feel socially disconnected despite appearing “put together”

• Often feel drained after social interactions

Many people describe feeling like they are “doing everything right” on the outside, while quietly struggling on the inside.

How RO DBT Helps

RO DBT works by targeting the underlying patterns of overcontrol and helping you:

• Increase emotional openness and flexibility

• Strengthen social connection and belonging

• Reduce perfectionism and rigidity

• Develop more genuine self-expression

• Experience greater spontaneity and joy

This approach is especially effective for individuals who tend to internalize distress rather than express it outwardly.

RO DBT & Art Therapy

Maggie integrates RO DBT principles with art therapy to create a unique, experiential approach. This allows clients to explore emotions, uncertainty, and new ways of relating, not just intellectually, but creatively and intuitively.

Through art therapy, clients can:

• Access emotions that are hard to put into words

• Practice openness and flexibility in real time

• Experiment with new ways of thinking and relating

RO DBT vs. Standard DBT

Traditional Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was developed to support individuals who experience intense, rapidly changing emotions and impulsivity. RO DBT, by contrast, is specifically designed for individuals who are overcontrolled—those who tend to suppress emotions, avoid vulnerability, and rely heavily on structure and self-discipline.

If standard DBT focuses on regulating overwhelming emotions, RO DBT focuses on loosening excessive control to allow for deeper connection and flexibility. You can find a detailed comparison of the two here.

Start RO DBT

• Explore more about RO DBT and how it works

• Read Maggie’s blog: Art Therapy, Not Knowing, and New Learning

• Access additional educational resources on RO DBT

• Contact Roots Art Therapy today!