Dr. Meredith Quarello is the Clinical Director, a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and DBT-Children (DBT-C) Team Lead at Chicago DBT Institute®. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Quarello completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department, primarily providing assessment and therapeutic services to detained adolescents. Prior to her work at CDBTI, she has worked in adult and juvenile correctional facilities, a psychiatric hospital, and in community mental health settings treating adults, families, adolescents and children with severe mental illnesses, behavioral problems, mood dysregulation, substance abuse, impulsivity, mood and anxiety disorders, self-injurious behaviors, and complex trauma histories.

Dr. Quarello received foundational and advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), DBT for Adolescents and DBT-C through Behavioral Tech. She has received advanced training in DBT for Families and Couples and DBT Consultation and Supervision both from Alan Fruzzetti, PhD. Dr. Quarello also received training in DBT STEPS-A, an adaptation of DBT for school settings, from the creators, Drs. Jim Mazza and Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza. 

At CDBTI, Dr. Quarello’s clinical work is focused on treating children and adolescent with severe emotion dysregulation, interpersonal difficulties, self-harm and suicidal behaviors, and physical aggression. In her work with young people, Dr. Quarello emphasizes the importance of family involvement in treatment and helps to provide parents and caregivers with the resources needed to effectively parent their emotionally sensitive children. In her role as Clinical Director, she provides supervision to unlicensed clinicians to support their growth and development as DBT therapists. Your first contact with CDBTI will also likely be with Dr. Quarello during your initial intake call. She prioritizes providing all patients and their families with accurate information on DBT and its effectiveness for a wide range of presenting problems and what can be expected from the DBT program at CDBTI. 

In her free time, Dr. Quarello enjoys spending time with her husband, twin daughters, and friends, attending trivia nights, exploring new restaurants, baking, and crafting. She also enjoys traveling and scuba diving. Dr. Quarello utilizes evidenced-based treatments and approaches therapy with genuine respect and compassion for her patients. She enjoys incorporating collaborative approaches and always tries to sneak in a bit of humor. Dr. Quarello believes all people are capable of implementing lasting change in order to live more fulfilling lives.