DBT Skills Training Manual

The definitive skills training manual embraced by Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) practitioners worldwide is now in a revised edition, reflecting important shifts in language, technology, and daily life. All skills, guidelines, and examples have been retained from the bestselling second edition, with updates throughout to enhance usability and inclusivity. In a convenient 8 1/2" x 11 format, the book provides complete instructions for orienting clients to DBT, structuring group sessions, troubleshooting common problems, and tailoring skills training curricula for different settings and populations. It offers detailed teaching notes for the full range of mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills, and describes how to use the associated handouts and worksheets. Handouts and worksheets are not included in this book; they can be found in the related volume, available separately: DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Revised Edition.

Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, the developer of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Director Emeritus of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington. Before retiring in 2019, she devoted her career to developing and evaluating evidence-based treatments for populations with high suicide risk and multiple, severe mental disorders. Dr. Linehan is the 2025 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Her contributions to suicide research and clinical psychology research have also been recognized with the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology, the Career/Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation, and the James McKeen Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science. In her honor, the American Association of Suicidology created the Marsha Linehan Award for Outstanding Research in the Treatment of Suicidal Behavior. Dr. Linehan was featured in TIME Great Scientists: The Geniuses and Visionaries Who Transformed Our World. She is founder of the Linehan Institute and is a Zen master.

Preface Preface to the Second Edition How to Use This Book I. An Introduction to DBT Skills Training 1. Rationale for Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training 2. Planning to Conduct DBT Skills Training 3. Structuring Skills Training Sessions 4. Skills Training Treatment Targets and Procedures 5. Application of Fundamental DBT Strategies in Behavioral Skills Training Part I Appendices II. Teaching Notes for DBT Skills Modules 6. General Skills: Orientation and Analyzing Behavior 7. Mindfulness Skills 8. Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills 9. Emotion Regulation Skills 10. Distress Tolerance Skills Index