Dialectical Behavior Therapy

This book reviews the theoretical underpinnings and practice of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a radical treatment developed by Marsha Linehan to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). DBT has proven to be effective with a wide range of mental health problems, including self-harm, suicidality, substance abuse, and eating disorders that are often difficult to treat.

DBT is a behavioral treatment that views emotion dysregulation as being the core of BPD and other disorders. Through regular individual therapy, group sessions, and phone coaching, clients learn more adaptive behaviors for processing their emotions as well as new life skills. DBT also encourages therapists to support each other in their work with challenging clients by participating in consultation teams.

In addition to reviewing standard DBT, this book describes its transtheoretical applications, adapting specific protocols to other treatment approaches. Extensive case material demonstrates how to apply all elements of the DBT process with a wide variety of clients and mental health issues.