DBT For Dummies
1. Edition June 2021
384 Pages, Softcover
General Reading
Keep calm, be skillful--and take control!
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is one of the most popular--and most effective--treatments for mental health conditions that result from out-of-control emotions. Combining elements of Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Eastern mindfulness practice, DBT was initially used as a powerful treatment to address the suffering associated with borderline personality disorder. It has since proven to have positive effects on many other mental health conditions and is frequently found in non-clinical settings, such as schools. Whether you struggle with depression, anger, phobias, disordered eating, or want to have a better understanding of emotions and how to focus and calm your mind, DBT practice serves the needs of those facing anything from regular life challenges to severe psychological distress.
Written in a no-jargon, friendly style by two of Harvard Medical School's finest, DBT For Dummies shows how DBT can teach new ways not just to reverse, but to actively take control of self-destructive behaviors and negative thought patterns, allowing you to transform a life of struggle into one full of promise and meaning. Used properly and persistently, the skills and strategies in this book will change your life: when you can better regulate emotions, interact effectively with people, deal with stressful situations, and use mindfulness on a daily basis, it's easier to appreciate what's good in yourself and the world, and then act accordingly. In reading this book, you will:
* Understand DBT theory
* Learn more adaptive ways to control your emotions
* Improve the quality of your relationships
* Deal better with uncertainty
Many of life's problems are not insurmountable even if they appear to be. Life can get better, if you are willing to live it differently. Get DBT For Dummies and discover the proven methods that will let you take back control--and build a brighter, more capable, and promising future!
Part 1: The Nuts and Bolts of DBT 5
Chapter 1: Entering the World of DBT 7
Chapter 2: Understanding Dialectical Behavior Therapy 15
Chapter 3: Accepting Multiple Points of View 29
Chapter 4: Moving from Impulsive to Spontaneous 37
Part 2: Gaining Understanding 53
Chapter 5: Understanding Your Emotions 55
Chapter 6: Understanding Your Behaviors 65
Chapter 7: Understanding How You Think 75
Chapter 8: Understanding Your Relationships 87
Part 3: Exploring DBT Skills 95
Chapter 9: Thinking about Mindfulness 97
Chapter 10: Regulating Your Emotions 117
Chapter 11: Building Your Distress Tolerance 127
Chapter 12: Increasing Your Interpersonal Effectiveness 147
Chapter 13: Walking the Middle Path 161
Part 4: The Mechanics of DBT Therapy 169
Chapter 14: Exploring Therapy Basics 171
Chapter 15: Embracing Dialectics 181
Chapter 16: Structuring the Environment 191
Chapter 17: The Therapist Consultation Team 209
Chapter 18: Tracking Your Experience 219
Chapter 19: Gaining and Keeping Motivation 233
Part 5: Putting DBT into Action for Specific Conditions 243
Chapter 20: Building Mastery for Mood and Personality Disorders 245
Chapter 21: Taming Trauma 263
Chapter 22: Tempering Addictions 271
Chapter 23: Dealing with Counterproductive Behaviors 297
Part 6: The Part of Tens 315
Chapter 24: Ten Mindful Practices 317
Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Live an Antidepressant Life 323
Chapter 26: Ten Myths about DBT 331
Index 337
-- Jewel, singer-songwriter, musician, lived experience mental health expert, Grammy-nominated artist, entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author of Never Broken
"Dr. Gillian Galen and Dr. Blaise Aguirre have been on the forefront of this impactful, mindful, lifesaving and family saving therapy for close to two decades. DBT For Dummies brings you back to basics and functions from your core values. It is skills-based (not pills!) and surprisingly simple if one truly wants to help make their lives better and suffer less. Dr. Galen has been helping me with my own journey for three years now. I begged her to write this book because I wanted the incredible results of this therapy to be made available to everybody. Especially during these turbulent times, where isolation and suffering are so prevalent, DBT For Dummies can be a savior. And anybody can do it! Read this book and your life gets better. It is as simple as that."
-- Mika Brzezinski, New York Times bestselling author, cohost of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and founder and creator of KNOW YOUR VALUE
"To succinctly describe all of the facets of DBT treatment in lay terms in such an engaging way is truly a skill. Galen and Aguirre's years of clinical and supervisory experience working in residential and outpatient settings make them perfectly suited to write DBT For Dummies. Lay people now have an excellent up-to-date and easy to read comprehensive guide to learn about the modes and functions of DBT, the theoretical underpinnings, the myths about DBT, the numerous DBT skills and the adaptations of DBT for special populations. It's a great read and I highly recommend it!"
-- Alec L. Miller, PsyD, Co-Founder and Clinical Director, Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants, LLP; DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Program; and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Blaise Aguirre, MD, is the Medical Director of 3East, a DBT continuum of care at McLean Hospital in Belmont Massachusetts, and a trainer in dialectical behavior therapy.
