WithMarsha for Therapists
A DBT app for homework reinforcement and between-session skills practice
A Complementary DBT Practice Companion
WithMarsha helps clients practice Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills between sessions through structured lessons, mood tracking, and guided AI conversations.
It's not therapy — it's a practice environment that keeps clients engaged with mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills long after they leave session.
Built by a DBT practitioner and AI engineer who's lived the work, WithMarsha bridges the gap between learning DBT and living DBT.
Why Skill Generalization Matters
Therapists know that the hardest part of DBT isn't learning the skills — it's remembering to use them when emotions spike.
Research consistently shows that between-session skills practice is one of the strongest predictors of client outcomes, yet most clients struggle to maintain consistency outside therapy.
"Between-session engagement predicts stronger DBT outcomes, yet clients often underutilize skills in daily life."
WithMarsha helps close that gap by guiding users through real-time, context-sensitive skill use — without crossing therapeutic or ethical boundaries.
How WithMarsha Supports Your Work
WithMarsha is designed to complement, not replace, your clinical care.
Reinforces Homework Compliance
Keep clients engaged with DBT skills between sessions through structured practice.
Reduces Re-Teaching Time
Clients retain foundational skills, freeing up session time for deeper work.
Enhances Skill Retention
Daily practice with guided feedback strengthens generalization.
Maintains Boundaries
Clear disclaimers and ethical guardrails protect therapeutic relationships.
Clients Can:
- Practice DBT skills from all core modules with interactive lessons
- Log emotions, intensity, and triggers in mood entries
- Reflect on daily experiences with guided prompts
- Receive skill explanations and practice guidance from the AI companion "Marsha"
Therapists Benefit By:
- Reinforcing homework compliance between sessions
- Reducing re-teaching time for foundational skills
- Enhancing skill retention without direct involvement
- Maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality
Ethics, Boundaries, and Data Privacy
We take therapist trust seriously. WithMarsha is structured to protect client privacy and therapeutic integrity from end to end.
Safeguards Include:
- Clear disclaimers throughout that WithMarsha is not therapy, medical advice, or crisis care
- Escalation resources displayed in-app (988, 911, and Crisis Text Line)
- End-to-end encryption and row-level security
- De-identified data storage with no PHI/PII used for model training
- Crisis-safe language model guardrails and zero data resale
- Optional data deletion at any time
We're a consumer educational product, not a HIPAA covered entity — but we meet and exceed comparable standards in encryption, data isolation, and ethical guardrails.
Evidence Base & Research Sources
WithMarsha is grounded in research on DBT skills training, digital mental health, and mobile generalization tools.
Linardon J., et al. (2024)
A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Smartphone App: Feasibility and Outcomes.
Frontiers in Psychology / PMC11773374
Demonstrates that mobile DBT skills training improved user outcomes and feasibility across adult populations.
Read full text →Wilks C.R., Gurtovenko K., Rebmann K., et al. (2021)
A Systematic Review of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Mobile Apps for Content and Usability.
Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, 8(1)
Evaluated all available DBT apps; concluded that clinician-informed development and evidence-based structure are essential for safety and effectiveness.
Read full text →Ramzan N., Camp J., Tranah T. (2025)
The DBT Coach App as an Adjunct to a Comprehensive DBT Programme for Adolescents: An Acceptability and Feasibility Study.
The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (Cambridge University Press)
Found high clinician and patient acceptability when using DBT coaching apps as adjuncts, supporting ethical use alongside therapy.
Read full text →Daros A.R., et al. (2024)
Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Efficacy of a Self-guided iDBT Intervention in Treatment-Seeking Adults with Substance Use Disorders.
JMIR Mental Health, 11(1), e50399
Demonstrates how self-guided DBT-based interventions can reinforce behavior change and reduce distress independently.
Read full text →Schroeder J., Wilks C., Rowan K., et al. (2018)
Pocket Skills: A Conversational Mobile Web App to Support Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
Proceedings of CHI 2018 (Microsoft Research)
Early validation of conversational DBT apps for skills reinforcement — the same foundation WithMarsha is built upon.
Read full text →Want discussion-ready summaries? Share the latest practitioner notes from the WithMarsha blog with your team.
Integrating WithMarsha in Clinical Workflows
Therapists can recommend WithMarsha as a skills practice tool, not as part of formal therapy.
Best Practices for Introducing Marsha:
- 1Frame it as structured DBT homework between sessions.
- 2Encourage the client to track one skill per day (Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, or Distress Tolerance).
- 3Check in during session — ask what they noticed when using a check in or skill reflection.
- 4Encourage autonomy — no therapist oversight needed.
Do:
Recommend Marsha as a practice supplement.
Don't:
Use it as part of psychotherapy documentation or treatment planning.
Built by Someone Who's Been There
"I've been through DBT group therapy myself. I've lived the work. As an AI engineer, I built Marsha to make DBT skill practice more accessible for people like me."
— Alex Avila, Founder, WithMarsha
DBT Practitioner & AI Engineer
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything therapists need to know about WithMarsha
Can therapists recommend a DBT app between sessions?
Yes. Therapists can recommend a DBT app as a psychoeducational practice tool when it is framed as homework reinforcement and skill generalization rather than psychotherapy or crisis support.
How does WithMarsha support DBT homework between sessions?
WithMarsha helps clients revisit DBT skills, practice guided prompts, and reflect on real-life situations so skills are easier to remember and use between therapy sessions.
Is WithMarsha therapy?
No. WithMarsha is an educational DBT skills companion. It does not replace therapy, clinical judgment, treatment planning, or emergency mental health services.
Can therapists use client data from WithMarsha?
No. User data is de-identified and not shared with therapists. Clinicians can invite clients to discuss patterns or reflections in session, but WithMarsha is not a therapy documentation tool.
Is WithMarsha HIPAA-compliant?
WithMarsha is a consumer educational product rather than a HIPAA covered entity, but it uses comparable security practices such as encrypted transport, data isolation, and no third-party data resale.
Can I preview the DBT app before recommending it to clients?
Yes. Therapists can download WithMarsha from the App Store, review the workflow, and decide whether it fits their between-session homework or skills-practice recommendations.
Get Started with WithMarsha
Download the app to see how WithMarsha can support your clients' DBT practice and enhance their skill generalization.
Want the install-oriented overview first? Start with the best DBT app guide or compare DBT apps vs worksheets for homework follow-through.
Help us bring evidence-based DBT practice to more people — safely, ethically, and effectively.