An excellent companion manual to the textbook "Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder", Dr. Linehan brilliantly outlines the skills that all DBT Skills Trainers need to steer their clients towards: Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance, and the concept of Radical Acceptance is worth mentioning as well. Detailed strategies for the DBT therapist or skills trainer to deal with life-threatening and therapy-interfering behaviors of the client are precious concepts for the skills trainer to have and can go a long way towards preventing therapist burnout.

I'm a Mental Health Counselor whose copy of this book is well worn. I recommend this book for anyone who is considering doing skills training for persons with problems in the following areas:
1) Problems related to control of attention. This could include anything from difficulty concentrating to dissociative behavior.
2) Problems with balance in relationships. Usually this involves teaching clients how to get other people to take them seriously. It can also involve teaching clients how to consider other people's needs in relationships. Often it's both.
3) Problems with severe painful emotions.
4) Problems with impulse control.

Many clients decide to get their own copy. This is like getting every student in the class the teacher's version of the text book. Much of the material in book addresses therapist problems rather than client problems. I don't recommend this book for clients unless they have the interest to study where their therapist is coming from. There's no harm in it, but for most clients they would be better off with self-help materials written with client interests in mind.

Both of my children are in DBT groups and this book is excellent! They have benefitted much from using this book! Thanks!

And that's me. I've been taking a class/group for months on the practices of Dr. Linehan. Of course, this was taught by an awesome doctor and an advanced degree student (who is definately going to make the world a much happier place). All of this combined, this workbook (which the class works out of) is happily, lifechanging. After almost 5 years of suffering with PTSD and depression suffered from injuries in a car accident, only these past few months working through this theory, I feel like my life is coming back now. My family is happier, my life is happier, I am happier. Find a therapist who CAN work with you through this theory and most everyone will benefit with a more positive and happier YOU! Good luck! It works!

I was asked to get this book by my therapist for use in my therapy. I think that this book does more harm then good. While the homework sheets could perhaps be useful, the overall book is written for the therapist. While most training manuals need to be written dispassionately and for general use. This book, frankly, lacks humanity. It generalizes about people with BPD to the extreme, allowing for no middle ground. I also find the large title to be violating of my privacy.

Clearly defined clues and solutions to assist anyone with
this psychic/physical behavior. An answer to a prayer.

This manual is fantastic! Not only does it provide succinct guidelines on how to teach the core Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills, but it stands alone quite well too. The additional text (Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Peronality Disorder), Linehan wrote explains Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in detail, and provides detailed discriptions of each skill, is excellent for the professional; however, for those who are suffering from BPD, and those just beginning to understand DBT, this manual provides invaluable information. Each skill is presented and exercises are provided, including group discussion hints. With minor modification this manual can be used successfully with adolescent women and men. The manual makes group preparation so much easier, and by conducting group in a didactic manner the skills are easily taught and learned. I highly recommend it for anyone touched by BPD.

This manual is fantastic! Not only does it provide succinct guidelines on how to teach the core Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills, but it stands alone quite well too. The additional text (Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Peronality Disorder), Linehan wrote explains Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in detail, and provides detailed discriptions of each skill, is excellent for the professional; however, for those who are suffering from BPD, and those just beginning to understand DBT, this manual provides invaluable information. Each skill is presented and exercises are provided, including group discussion hints. With minor modification this manual can be used successfully with adolescent women and men. The manual makes group preparation so much easier, and by conducting group in a didactic manner the skills are easily taught and learned. I highly recommend it for anyone touched by BPD.

This workbook for DBT (Dialectic Behavior Therapy) is a solid and pragmatic guide for those seeking help with borderline personality disorders. Simple to use and clear to understand, this workbook provides information and exercises to ground those troubled with this disorder. Highly recommended.

This book gave me tools to understand myself better and how to approach problems, get my needs met, and to understand that life isn't always fair and people aren't always going to do what you want. You can express yourself in an assertive manner and feel ok even if another person doesn't do what you wanted or needed. To be ok in yourself, your journey and process. How to "get out of the mind" and thinking about negative thoughts and tools to cope with very serious pain both emotionally and physically.

I think if most people studied DBT, the world would be at a better place. There would be more compassion, understanding, and most of all better communication as well as coping skills.

This is a great resource for persons with BPD who are actively seeking to eliminate destructive behaviors and begin living a new way.

Book in perfect condition and came fast. Thank you so much!!

the book arrived in a timely fashion and was in good condition.

I am just now reviewing the contents of the book and it appears to contain
the info as advertised.

the book arrived in a timely fashion and was in good condition.

I am just now reviewing the contents of the book and it appears to contain
the info as advertised.

In conjunction with a group session this manual is highly effective. The person who is learning may not understand the principals the first time around and it may take more than one time through the manual.

In conjunction with a group session this manual is highly effective. The person who is learning may not understand the principals the first time around and it may take more than one time through the manual.

This manual offers a good overview of dbt for those in therapy or for those considering this type of therapy. It is not meant to stand alone as a self help book- indeed, it is written primarily for the use of therapists, not the patients.

I bought this to understand the situation of someone I knew, but as I read in the book, I saw paragraphs that made a lot of sense to me--about me.

I have since spent about a month reading and using some of the exercises in the booklet. It's an amazingly useful thing for me.

I have, I think, "bits and pieces" of borderline disfunctionality around the edges of my life, and this has been a super form of self-therapy.

It probably will make sense, used like this, only by the highly educated, highly motivated person who has already "had" lots of therapy.

Some of Linehan's analysis of what goes into, say, having a relationship and wanting something from the person you are involved with, is so simple and usefully put. I had a stepmother who was probably borderline, and she dominated my life for about six years...and so there are some occasional holes in my social performance. Despite years of therapy, I still had stuff to learn about my defects in social performance, and I found it in Linehan. You might, too.

Perfect help for DBT Group, 'Study to show yourself approved...' Has all the worksheets and all the teaching to go with it.

Great resource to have as a clinician not only for BPD but useful in all areas of practice. Includes Mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. Very comprehensive and effective skills for many human beings that arev suffering from "Life" Recommended.

The Skills Training Manual is very good, but it has not been updated in a long time.

Surely there have been more insights to revise, add to, or change concepts presented in this book.

I am giving this 1 star because I think it is very professionally irresponsible to not provide a timely update. It's long overdue, and the people who are in DBT therapy deserve better.

Marsha -- when is this going to be updated? Don't you think it's long overdue?

this offers some good ideas and approaches but the writing is not clear and it is hard to understand some of the concepts, techniques, and some of the handouts. still, there is some useful stuff.
if you were going to try to apply the whole program and run borderline dbt groups you would need this.

This book is an amazing alternative to some of the lengthly classes offered by hospitals, though I do not advise against any kind of medical treatment! Many DBT skills groups use this book as their basis, and it's convienent to have at home to use and keep as your own. It's a tough read, but worth all the work. Good Luck. Jenn

This is truely a great book. The worksheets do have to be explained, so make sure you get a version which does this. After that, you can use the worksheets throughout your life, as I do, and every time again, they are helpful and give great insight and help.

I have Borderline Personality Disorder. This is the handbook I have ordered and used 3 times. I keep reordering it because the steps in the handbook work in conjunction with a trained therapist, it took a long time, more than the 20 recommended sessions, which is why I had to reorder, because mine fall apart after so much usages. I recommend this book to anyone in active therapy. Will I order it again, yes, if i go into remission. The treatment is highly effective if, like me,you do your homework.

This text provides an excellent, manualised guide to the delivery of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. It is written by the theorist, Marsha Linehan, and provides a step-by-step guide to the delivery of therapy, with theoretical underpinnings clearly explained. I have been using this text for the past year, and have found it to be reliable, useful and essential in the delivery of this therapy with clients who have eating disorders. Thankyou, Marsha Linehan.

When I first started DBT therapy I got this out from my local library and read it. Damn it didn't seem like anything special - a bit wishy washy and not too clear. Certainly not like anything that could change the huge amount of pain that goes along with having a borderline diagnosis. Three and a half years later my life is so different... There is no magic cure but application of the skills learnt in this book and the help of a skilled and compatible therapist can help you make changes in your life that will make it worth living. I feel like for a long long time I only made snails progress with this therapy and then I began to notice such differences in my relationships - most especially with myself and my capacity to enjoy life. Give it a go - Marsha Linehan is not God.... but she has developed a very insightful therapy that can give you and your family hope

If you have been diagnosed a BPD this is your companion to adequate treatment.Keep in mind this book is not to be used alone. Once a DBT specialist is in your life this book becomes 50% treatment.The cornerstone to functioning and the reference you can forever use when treated for BPD it is my belief and Dr. Linehan's that you can live a normal life. Discard I hate u don't leave me and seek out this treatment.Then this book will someday be reviewed by u.

Knowing how to access a place inside to relieve symptoms of long standing illness is pure genius, and this book is the road map to spiritual identification and release of problems, just by learning how to relax and let the spirit do it's job. I love it.

That's the beginning of an old Beach Boys' song and maybe a good response to the fine research and development of what is called "dialectical behavioral therapy." It's a fine paradigm and tacitly acknowledges that effective therapy is not a one hour a week process, but an on-going one with multi-modal tasks and treatments, and ideally with a therapy team. This book is a great handbook, but NASA publishes excellent handbooks on operating space vehicles: but it doesn't do much good if you can't afford a launchpad (more on this metaphor in a moment). The book clearly lays out the task of the therapist and client. The client should do homework assignments, self-monitoring, reflection, etc. That is all fine and good if one has a research grant and a "captive audience" so to speak, but in the real world, how many people could adhere to such a regimen. As insurance company allowances for mental health severely limit length of treatment and quality of treatment, and with the average American's work week having expanded ten hours per week since the early 1980's (see "The Future of Success"-Robert Reich), who are the clients that will truly benefit from a comprehensive treatment plan. Blue Cross, for example, limits "financing" of mental health treatment to 20 sessions per year TOTAL,( meaning counseling, group therapy, psychopharmacology, etc.) and that's only if you see a counselor in their network (and how many experienced therapists are going to accept their reimbursement schedules)? Those 20 sessions, would be used up in a couple of months maximum. Compare this to the intensive year-long regiment of DBT. Once again, the psychology community is clueless about the economics of American mental health. But don't take it from me: here is what Jerold Kreisman (author of the groundbreaking book "I hate you don't leave me") said in his recent "Sometimes I act Crazy": "Some studies have denmonstrated that DBT is not superior to standard care therapy in achieving improvement in depression and anger symptoms...Whether symptom improvement can be sustained for significant periods after treatment termination is not established..." And perhaps most unsettling, "Despite strong inferences that specialized programs for BPD offer superior and cost-effective treatment, current financial contraints on the treatment of psychiatric disorders in this country inhibit optimal therapeutic approaches." Please don't punish the messenger. But these observations are not exactly surprising. So if you are middle class, working class, working poor, poor, have typical insurance, no insurance, probably the only way to get the treatment you need is to get committed: this is in the true spirit of Catch-22ism.

Tired of reading on how bad Borderline Personality Disorder can be? If you have BPD or even if you don't have BPD, this book will help in some form. But treating BPD is not as easy as fixing a broken door or broken toilet. It takes so much time and patience. Above all, the individual with BPD must be motivated to get well.

I even think that the publisher should make a self-help book with same content for general public because the methods used in this book can benefit any human being with any status of mental health. There are many enough menthods in the book that even though one method doesn't work for you there are plenty of options you can try next. There must be something that works for you. But do not self-treat yourself, though.

Stop being sorry and start doing something. I believe this book can help those who are dealing with someone else's disorder or even physical illness.

In tweleve-step groups they usually say something like "take what you need and leave the rest." I would suggest that non-borderline clients and the practitioners who help them follow that advice with this book. There is no need to erase us from the title of this book so that non-BPDs will feel less shame buying or using it. And there is no need to judge the exercises and handouts as overly simplistic. They are what they are. They were designed to help us (borderlines).

If you are not borderline, and do not have experience working with borderlines, you really don't know what we need. Marsha Linehan does. I'm not claiming that every example or every exercise in the book works for every borderline, but M.L. does not claim that either!

Many borderlines (including myself) were traumatized in early childhood and failed to learn basic skills at that age. Therefore, exercises that to the non-BPD sufferer seem designed for children, were actually designed for people who never had the chance to experience a normal childhood and learn the social skills that others learned as children.

I do agree with the reviewers who say that much of DBT is helpful for people with other diagnoses, and even people who are not mentall ill, but this manual is for US, and does not need to be changed. Those who are not a part of the target audience should use what they can, and leave the rest - without judgement.

Those practitioners who see the applicability of DBT to non-borderline patients should take the time to figure out what works and write new books with new therapies, based on DBT. That is what Marsha Linehan did. She took CBT as a framework and developed DBT for a specific population - people who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder.

For me, the DBT program that I attend, which uses this book as a handbook, has been invaluable. I needed this training. When I started DBT 5 months ago, while I did not feel suicidal, I felt that my self-destructive behaviors were eventually going to lead to my premature death. I had a term for this. I called myself "terminally incompetent" even though I have a high IQ, an advanced degree, etc. I just meant that eventually, my inability to simply get along in the world was going to kill me. I have felt this way all of my life, and I've been describing myself using that term for years, even though I had 10 years of therapy before this program. Now I still have ups and downs, and I still need many more years of therapy, but I know I'm going to make it.

Thank you, Marsha Linehan, and thank you Transitional Day Treatment Program at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital (NYC).

I read this book avidly, and it made me think of my own life. I've written about the subject of borderline personalities extensively and consider myself an authority. Why? Because I suffer from it. The way I deal with my disorder is to rant and rave about my ex-spouse-it's easier to accuse her of having a borderline personality than to deal with my own issues. I've been publishing a lot about the topic on my own website, though most people have told me that I have no evidence for my claims.

You see, I have been hurt. Badly hurt. I was abused as a young child, and it helped make me into the emotionally and physically abusive person that I am today. When I was married, I could use my spouse as my psychological screen, my punching bag. When she didn't want to play that role anymore, I lost out bigtime. Boy, I now wish I'd gone into therapy earlier. Are you intrigued? Visit me on the web under my name.

This manual is highly effective for treating higher intellectually functioning and reasonably motivated borderlines. The handouts are especially helpful and they help to present the treatment in methods presentable to many clients (although I have found some borderlines become overly dependent on the handouts and conversely develop compulsions and obsessions centered around their DBT handouts and journals). I work in a residential treatment facility for SPMI (all clients also have at least one Axis I diagnosis), and most of our clients have too low intellectual functioning to grasp many of the DBT concepts. I especially enjoy the Zen focus of Linehan's DBT.

I'm the webowner of BPD Today and this is the "handbook" someone would bring to their dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) sessions as this form of therapy has shown in studies to help some folks with BPD. The material alone is excellent and one can get a lot of help with this very painful disorder. Every home with BPD should have it.

Looks like 'a reader from Mesa, AZ'- needs to utilize "non-judgemental stance" a little more effectively. ; p

After struggling for many years with borderline and depression. I was introduced to this book. It has been a life saver. I finally have found something I can connect with. It is an easy read. I gives me the skills I never knew existed. I would recommend this book to anyone with borderline or anyone who wants to help someone with bodreline.

OK, so I read The Siren's Dance: My marriage to a Borderline, about a doc who has a BPD wife and he gets no therapy, nor does she, or if so, not good therapy. Guess what? The marriage DOES NOT WORK.

In my situation, I was quite hopeless, because my wife had tried all types of medications, and therapy. Little worked until she started DBT, in individual work and in group. I also started therapy. Our marriage will survive, and my kids are more at ease. My wife's therapist says this is the book to use. It helped us for sure.

This book is more a teaching tool for therapists. I find the information to be too simplified for a deeply rooted disease like BPD. Sure face your fears, but suggesting "go to the store and buy an item worth less than 50 cents with a 5 dollar bill". What does that cure? We are not children. Treat us like adults. Im keeping the book only to show friends what sort of a joke these treatments are.

MARSHA LINEHAN HAS BLOWN THE PRIOR INEFFECTIVE NEGATIVE TREATMENTS AND PROGNOSIS FOR BPD OUT OF THE WATER. EVERY
PSYCHIATRIST AND PSYCHOLOGIST AND DRUG ADDICTION COUNSELOR AND
SUICIDE COUNSELOR SHOULD BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS METHOD OF
DIALECTIC TREATMENT. SHE HAS PAINSTAKIINGLY SHOW HER METHOD TO
BE SUPERIOR BY RANDOMIZED TRIAL AND OF COURSE EXPERIENCE. IF
YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH BPD GET THEM COPIES OF THESE BOOKS (YOU NEED TO BUY THE ACCOMPANYING TEXT BOOK). ALL
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS SHOULD SUPPORT HER EFFORTS AT THE
UNIV OF WASHINGTON BY SENDING IN DONATIONS TO HER BEHAVIORAL
CLINIC WHICH IS INSUFFICIENTLY FUNDED BY THE UNIVERSITY. THEN
THEN THEN WE CAN REALLY GET SOMEWHERE IN THIS DISORDER NATION-
WIDE. HELP THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. NO ONE CAN AFFORD
TO WAIT - THIS IS TRULY LIFE SAVING !!

I am a patient/client at Riverbend Center for Mental Health. As part of my treatment program I take DBT course. I've completed it once and in the process of repeating it. IT WORKS FOR ME! I have learned so much. I can actually FEEL now I haven't tried to OD or SI in 2 yrs this June. (That says alot in itself) Keep up the good writing. All of us who have certain disorders are always looking for books such as yours to help us outside of therapy. I highly recomend more states (like MS)to GET WITH THE PROGRAM! and have your book and classes available to more people. What more can I say. It's the best thing that has happened to and for me in my 10 plus years in the "system"! THANK YOU....

After over thirty years of intense therapy for serious childhood abuse after-effects, this book and DBT in particular, has truly made my life worth living.
I am a textbook case of abuse survivors, with all the symptoms and a borderline diagnosis too. Treatment of my condition (severe depression,anxiety,PTSD and major distrust of people)has become possible. I didn't think it would ever happen..but this book and therapy together has actually made it possible for me to cope much better, actually feel happy at times, and "unfreeze" me (I stayed home a lot and didn't want to go out, before, due to fear), now I go out and see myself growing every day..
I also go to a therapy group that helps teach this book in more detail (DBT skills), if there's one in your area and you have severe problems with depression/anger/fear it is worth your while to check it out because very little has worked on me..until now. Thank you, Marsha Linehan!

For the moderately sophisticated consumer - this book is compassionate, pragmatic, applied, and will dramatically change your outlook and orientation to the world. It may just change (save) your life.

The "textbook": "Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder" is also outstanding, if somewhat more sophisticated.

I bought both and can honestly say, they are one of the best investments in money, time, and effort I have ever made.

Note: this technique (Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT) was originally conceived to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The latter tends to be stigmatized in the mental health community. DO NOT LET THIS PUT YOU OFF. This form of therapy is increasingly being used to treat mood disorders of all kinds.

I'm a psychology intern and we use this manual for multiple disorders, not just BPD. The skills, as others have suggested are essential to living a healthy, happy life, regardless of one's 'problems.' While most modern day psychotherapeutic techniques preach change, Linehan's work centers on centering. Acceptance balanced with change. Emotion balanced with logic. It's a wonderful new perspective on treating psychological disorders. And as an added bonus, in the age of managed care, it's one of the few treatments rooted in a humanistic understanding that will be readily reimbursed by HMO's. As both a therapist and a consumer of psychological literature, this work stands as one of the most helpful available. Well worth the money. And you can make copies of the handouts WITHOUT worrying about copyright infringement because the author has graciously given permission to do so. Linehan is really an asset to the psychological community.

Some of the cognitive behavioral techniques taught in this book-yo be used in both groups and individual therapy, are extremly useful and practical. I don't like the fact that DBT therapy is primarily seen as treatment for borderlines, because I have had people in my groups with multiple disorders and respond very well to DBT (ie PTSD, anger management), and the main complaint is that they feel when they puchace the book, they are being labled into one catagory, rather than subscribing to one type of treatment (DBT). Having "BPD" still has a stigma associated with it, I don't care what anyone says, but no one really knows what DBT is in the regular community. So I think the book should be called "Skills training in DBT Therapy"--It doesn't make people assume you have a specific diagnosis.

My second issue with the book is that some of excercises are pretty corney--The point of the excercise are important and very useful, but the examples...I'm not quite what age group they are geard for since I've used them with both young and older group members. If anything, they have created a bit of humor, but they are not realistic and don't apply to everyday life.

I continue to use the book, with modifications, and take the emphasis of the BPD and focus more on learning the skills

If you are a Borderline or even just someone like me needing help with emotional regulation and relationship skills, don't be put off by the book's seeming professional audience. This book is very useful for self-help. There are individual pages that are worth the price of the book.

I am a clinician and recently completed one of the DBT workshops. Psychotherapy in general has been said to be "too good to waste on the mentally ill". Although that sounds condescending, which it is, it is meant to convey that talk therapy is so good it should really be used with ordinary people, not just the mentally ill. The techniques in this manual are a perfect example of that. Frankly, I have heard derogitory comments about the author and was sceptical about her workshop. However, the workshop, which is based on this training manual, was not just good, but spectacular. It is, in my opinion, a roadmap for inner fulfillment; a step-by-step program to realize the hipi era slogan of "Be Here Now" and a practical guide to overcoming emotional hangups. It is not just for those with diagnosable mental disorders. It is for anyone who is tired of their own neurosis and who wants to live and enjoy their life, not just react to it.

Please update this excellent book! This version is strongly oriented toward women--uses "she" and "her" exclusively in the text and exercises. Outdated, hard to read fonts. Needless technical words ("labile") in handouts meant for laypeople. Needs cultural updating--recommends listening to "I Am Woman" (70's era women's lib song) to feel better. What about the men who have BPD? And the gay men who have BPD? How about some Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand songs at least?

This book is designed for use in skill training groups for BPD. The author offers advice on adapting it to be used in individual therapy however. Linehan is forging a place in the mental health field as the foremost clinican in dealing with BPD. The reader is immediately aware of the extensive amount of research that went into this workbook. The author is not writing about opinion, she is writing about the results of years of extensively scrutinzing the work of herself and others. In my practice I have found that the use of the book, especially the handouts in the back of the book, could be in nearly ever session I ever have with someone battling with Borderline Personality. After applying the ideas in this book I found that BPD was not the same beast in treating than in the past.

This is a great book, useful for everybody and not just people with BPD. I have used the concepts numerous times with my clients and I have used them myself.