DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents

From leading experts who have trained thousands of professionals in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), this manual provides indispensable tools for treating adolescents with emotional or behavioral problems of any level of severity. Clinicians are guided step by step to teach teens and parents five sets of skills: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Walking the Middle Path (a family-based module developed by the authors specifically for teens), Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Designed for optimal clinical utility, the book features session outlines, teaching notes, discussion points, examples, homework assignments, and 85 reproducible handouts, in a large-size format for easy photocopying. Purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

Jill H. Rathus, PhD, is Co-Director of Cognitive Behavioral Associates in Great Neck, New York. She is Professor of Psychology at Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus (LIU Post) and Co-Director of the Family Violence Program at LIU Post. She has developed and conducted DBT programs for adolescents and adults and has published widely on DBT, adolescent suicide, couple therapy, intimate partner violence, personality disorders, assessment, and anxiety disorders. She serves as reviewer for several psychology journals, consults on treatment development, participates on National Institute of Mental Health grant review committees, and trains mental health professionals in DBT and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Alec L. Miller, PsyD, is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychology, and Director of the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program at Montefiore Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is also Co-Founder of Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants of Westchester and Manhattan. Dr. Miller has published widely on DBT, adolescent suicide, childhood maltreatment, and borderline personality disorder, and has trained thousands of mental health professionals in DBT. A Fellow of Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) and Division 53 (Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, he is coauthor (with Jill H. Rathus and Marsha M. Linehan) of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents.

"Make no mistake: Rathus and Miller are the experts on adolescent DBT. No clinicians in this rapidly expanding field better know the ins and outs of working with teens. This volume reveals in fine detail how to deliver this treatment to teens and their families in a way that will engage them, reach them, and offer them hope. This skills manual is an essential addition to their body of work, likely to make clinicians' jobs easier while enhancing outcomes, and sure to touch many lives."--from the Foreword by Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, Director, Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, University of Washington "This book is a 'must' for beginners learning DBT in classrooms and in practice environments, and also includes many helpful gems for seasoned DBT clinicians. The skill descriptions, exercises, discussion points, and homework assignments reflect a deep understanding of the developmental problems and needs of teens and their parents. The skills are put into everyday, understandable situations, making this an incredibly useful manual. My copy will be dog-eared within weeks!"--Alan E. Fruzzetti, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno "Rathus and Miller are excellent clinicians and gifted writers who have once again teamed up to write a practical, relevant manual. I became absorbed by the book's content and clarity. It is practical in a way that helps clinicians speak to adolescents with compassion and work with them effectively. Accessible instruction is provided for applying DBT skills to a broad range of complex and maladapative adolescent behaviors. The skills are presented with maximal utility and a minimum of jargon. For anyone working with adolescents, this is the most comprehensive DBT manual yet."--Blaise Aguirre, MD, Medical Director, 3East DBT Program, McLean Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School "Rathus and Miller have led the way in extending DBT to the world of adolescents. Now these true treatment pioneers provide a clear and efficient package for clinicians who want to implement the approach. DBT gives struggling teens and their families the crucial opportunity to learn skills and strategies for building a brighter future. This is a 'must-have' resource for mental health providers."--Perry D. Hoffman, PhD, Co-Founder and President, National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder "This amazing book is absolutely invaluable for clinicians who treat adolescents struggling to control their emotions and behavior. Written by the world's leading authorities on this topic, this manual outlines the state of the art in adolescent DBT, and does so in a way that is clear, accessible, and easy to implement. This is one of those rare books that every clinician should own--and use."--Matthew K. Nock, PhD, Department of Psychology, Harvard University "Self-harm and other high-risk behaviors in teenagers represent huge challenges to families and health care professionals. This manual offers an exceptional and creative set of practical tools that really work and