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silentandvast's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
5.0
jgilge's review against another edition
4.0
I read this one for school, but this was an amazing read to gain insight into this therapy.
juliaem's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fine, and DBT is obviously an enourmously effective therapy. I just wish that Linehan had put "manual" somewhere in the title, so I wouldn't have held out hope for so long that it would suddenly turn more fascinating than instructive (I probably unfairly judge fascination level by amount of clinical examples). She does, however, excel at writing clearly and without jargon.
kowalkat's review against another edition
5.0
This is THE book that is the foundation for Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I highly recommend this for every counseling professional, if they don't make you read this in grad school, it's worth picking up on your own. I absolutely don't think every therapist needs to be a DBT therapists, or even use Dr. Linehan's techniques, but nonetheless understanding this treatment and the people it helps is invaluable (although after reading this, you'll definitely add a few tools to your kit).
whysoserious's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
This is THE manual for any therapist specialising in Borderline (Emotionally Unstable) Personality Disorder (BPD). Written by the mother of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Marsha Linehan, the manual provides a step-by-step walk through of DBT from pre-treatment through to endings.
The brilliance of DBT is the formulaic way in which it is presented and taught to clients and one could be forgiven if they thought it is a simple therapy. The art is in the application of change versus acceptance strategies and the dialectical world view that permeates every aspect of DBT. Whilst other therapeutic models tend to focus on changing the client’s thinking processes and behaviours, DBT weaves in validation of the individual’s experience of the world around her (she uses “her” throughout the manual).
The brilliance of DBT is the formulaic way in which it is presented and taught to clients and one could be forgiven if they thought it is a simple therapy. The art is in the application of change versus acceptance strategies and the dialectical world view that permeates every aspect of DBT. Whilst other therapeutic models tend to focus on changing the client’s thinking processes and behaviours, DBT weaves in validation of the individual’s experience of the world around her (she uses “her” throughout the manual).
Linehan lays out the primary targets (life threatening, therapy interfering and quality of life interfering behaviours) and secondary targets (apparent competence versus active passivity etc) in such an easy-to-understand way. She frames them in the context of dialectical dilemmas that the therapist (and client) must wrestle with. This really supports the therapist to stay “on track” when a chaotic client diverts therapy onto non-DBT subjects. It is one of the best parts of DBT and the manual itself. As a professional I have often found this group of clients pulling me in a billion directions depending on the latest emotional crisis and I have found myself feeling frazzled and confused as to where to “go” next. Linehan makes this much simpler for the therapist and client because it is fundamentally built into the therapy model.
A large number of protocols are built into the therapy and these are laid out in easy-read checklists for therapists. They are then broken down into smaller sections with examples and a guide on each of the parts of the protocol. Again, this makes working with the manual easy to work with. That isn’t to say that the therapy is easy to administer, in fact some therapists using other models have said this is an overwhelming aspect of DBT.
Critically I must admit that Linehan is not a natural writer for ease of reading. The book is a very dense 500+ pages and this is not one to read in one sitting. She often goes around the houses before getting to the key point and you really have to read this a few times to “get” some of the things she is trying to communicate. She is a wonderful academic writer but for those therapists who are not as familiar or comfortable with academic writing it can be a slog. This book is all business; written with little levity scattered in between. I would say that the average person – non-professional or client with a diagnosis of BPD – this is not a read for you. You will likely be left scratching your head or – at worse – feeling quite judged. This isn’t the intention of the author and she certainly tries to temper this potential message.
One thing I must admit I appreciate from Linehan is the fact she has in-built the needs of the therapist in her therapy. This client group can prove deeply challenging, emotion provoking and chaotic and Linehan isn’t naïve in this regard. She anticipates therapist burn-out, client resistance to change and makes this central to the model. She will always be remembered as the creator of a therapeutic approach that puts both client and therapist at the heart of the model.
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Mental illness
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