Understanding Trends and Preventative Factors in Teen Suicidality

Alyson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over a decade of clinical experience in a variety of settings, including residential treatment, private practice, and community-based mental health. She is trained in multiple evidenced-based practices including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and mindfulness. She has worked extensively in residential treatment, both in administrative and clinical roles, and has come to specialize in the treatment of adolescents with emotion dysregulation and suicidal behaviors.

In addition to being intensively trained in DBT through Behavioral Tech, Alyson has also received training from other leaders in DBT education, research, and practice, including Charles Swenson, MD (University of Massachusetts School of Medicine), Kelly Koerner, PhD (University of Washington), and Alan Fruzzetti, PhD (McLean Hospital). Alyson has also recently started foundational training in Radically Open DBT, which aims to assist individuals struggling with overcontrol, including those with Anorexia, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and treatment-resistant depression.

Before stepping into the role of Executive Clinical Director for all Evolve Treatment Centers, Alyson was the Clinical Program Director at our Vanalden location. At Evolve Vanalden, Alyson managed all clinical and administrative aspects of the program, supervised the associate therapists on staff, and facilitated several DBT groups. Alyson implemented a residential Comprehensive DBT program at Evolve Vanalden, the first in California and one of only a handful in the country. Alyson is a respected leader in Comprehensive DBT Residential Programming for Adolescents.

As Executive Clinical Director for Evolve, Alyson’s mission is to strengthen and improve every aspect of our clinical standards and practices. This includes enhancing the role of DBT in all Evolve programs by ensuring clinical staff have the appropriate training, resources, experience, and mentorship to implement DBT in a way that helps clients most effectively. Alyson is committed to data-driven, evidence-based treatment, and will work with Evolve’s clinical team to document and publish treatment outcome data for all Evolve programs. She hopes this will give families objective criteria they can use to make informed decisions about treatment and recovery for their family members. In addition, Alyson plans to enhance Evolve’s role as a leading continuing education (CEU) provider for mental health professionals in California, and expand our support groups and educational workshops for families and interested community members.

Dr. Brad Simpson earned his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University, Idaho and followed his passion for social work by pursuing his master’s degree from the University of Utah and his doctoral degree in social work from the University of Tennessee. Brad specializes in working with couples, families, and adolescents in acute inpatient, intensive outpatient, and residential settings. He is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and provides trainings for mental health professionals across the United States. He has served in several administrative capacities most recently as executive director of a fully adherent DBT program. He is currently an associate professor and director of the Bachelor of Social Work program at Southern Utah University. He is currently the director of research and development at Sunrise Residential Treatment Center a fully adherent DBT program and the founder and owner of 3rd Wave Counseling and Consulting.

In addition to research, administrative duties, and clinical practice, Dr. Simpson enjoys teaching undergraduate students, mentoring students, interns, and clinicians. Brad loves running, hiking, mountain biking, lifting weights, long boarding, and spending time with his family.