Coping with Cancer DBT Skills to Manage Your Emotions--and Balance Uncertainty with Hope

This compassionate book presents dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a proven psychological intervention that Marsha M. Linehan developed specifically for the impossible situations of life--and which she and Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz now apply to the unique challenges of cancer for the first time.
 
*How can you face the fear, sadness, and anger without being paralyzed by them?
*Is it possible to hold on to hope without being in denial?
*How can you nurture supportive relationships when you have barely enough energy to take care of yourself?
 
Learn powerful DBT skills that can help you make difficult treatment decisions, manage overwhelming emotions, speak up for your needs, and tolerate distress. The stories and collective wisdom of other cancer patients and survivors illustrate the coping skills and show how you can live meaningfully, even during the darkest days.

 

Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz, LCSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in Mamaroneck, New York, is a cancer survivor and a Zen student. After many years of involvement with services for people with cancer and their loved ones, she developed a program of coping skills based on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She serves on the faculty of the Westchester Center for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.

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. Her primary research interest is in the development and evaluation of evidence-based treatments for populations with high suicide risk and multiple, severe mental disorders. Dr. Linehan's contributions to suicide research and clinical psychology research have been recognized with numerous awards, including the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology and the Career/Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. She is also a recipient of 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. She is a Zen master.

Introduction
1. Dealing with the News That You Have Cancer
2. How to Make Effective Decisions
3. How to Manage Strong Emotions
4. Managing Fear, Anxiety, and Stress
5. Managing Sadness
6. Managing Anger
7. Nurturing Personal Relationships
8. Communicating with Colleagues and Medical Professionals
9. Living Meaningfully
Notes
Index