Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents

by Alec L. Miller, Jill H. Rathus, Marsha M. Linehan

Filling a tremendous need, this highly practical book adapts the proven techniques of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to treatment of multiproblem adolescents at highest risk for suicidal behavior and self-injury. The authors are master clinicians who take the reader step by step through understanding and assessing severe emotional dysregulation in teens and implementing individual, family, and group-based interventions. Insightful guidance on everything from orientation to termination is enlivened by case illustrations and sample dialogues. Appendices feature 30 mindfulness exercises as well as lecture notes and 12 reproducible handouts for "Walking the Middle Path," a DBT skills training module for adolescents and their families. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print these handouts and several other tools from the book in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

See also Rathus and Miller's DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents , packed with tools for implementing DBT skills training with adolescents with a wide range of problems.

Genres: Psychology, Counselling, Nonfiction, Social Work, Mental Health

346 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2006

Reviews

[Gabriel Desjardins]

I’m from psychoanalytic, humanistic and systemic approaches, but starting my internship in an hospital I had to read this book since I’m gonna be part of a DBT group for teens with suicidal and self-destructive patterns. It offers a clear understanding of the assumptions of dialectical thinking which articulates well with other approaches to treatment (splitting, borderline personality organization, family homeostasis and relational patterns, and so on). It offers a clear conceptualization of how we must conduct individual and group therapy for these youth and their parents. I realize DBT might be necessary at first to undergo a « depth therapy » or a therapy focused on trauma and making sense of life. I just find the book a bit like a « protocol » but normal for CBT approaches. I think it is a must read for people helping highly dysregulated teens and parents.

[Kate Emery]

Recommended by Professor Bart during my Introduction to DBT course at Columbia, this book offers a clear, research-based guide to adapting DBT for adolescents, with practical strategies and case examples that are applicable. I found this book super helpful.

[salva]

therapy read!!!!!! [crying-laughing emoji]

[Aim]

It’s a very good book on DBT and I love the skills listed in a readable format.

[stephanie]

i'm a little upset because this is the book i wanted to be my dissertation, but then i got over it, because it's an excellent book, and it proves my hypothesis (that DBT can be used on this population).

i want to track the authors down and see if they need any help with anything - they are in new york. they were also trained by linehan, so that's awesome.

the book is, yes, directed at clinicians and not the everyday layperson, so it's not like i would recommend this to anyone, but if you are interested in ways to deal with suicidal adolescents, pick this up immediately.

[Brandon]

Miller & Rathus have a long history of working with suicidal adolescents, and their expertise, experience, and knowledge within this area show in this book. The authors have tailored Linehan's original material to the adolescent population via experience and research. They will be publishing a skills training manual as soon as a RCT is done on Adol-DBT, and they are currently doing trainings from this model via Behavioral Tech.

[Patty Taylor]

excellent information

[bup]

I'm not going to star this, because I'm not the book's intended audience.

This is for professionals who are looking to implement DBT therapy at a practice. It's VERY DENSE.

VERY.

DENSE.

I guess I got something out of it, in my effort to just understand what DBT is, but this is not the book for the layperson.