Real Skills for Real Life A DBT Guide to Navigating Stress, Emotions, and Relationships

Everyone struggles sometimes. This book teaches you what to do about it. The proven skills of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are beautifully presented by two leading experts in this inviting illustrated guide. Whether you want to learn how to manage intense emotions, build healthier relationships, or cope with a crisis, you will find 26 core DBT skills along with decision trees pointing to which ones to try first and what to do next. Impactful graphics show how to use each skill step by step, including realistic examples. With warmth, clarity, and humor, this book puts science-based skills like Wise Mind, Validation, Problem Solving, and Radical Acceptance within anyone’s grasp--and sets you on the path to a more confident, balanced, and fulfilling life.

Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD, ABPP, is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Montefiore Einstein Medical Center in New York, where she serves as Director of Psychology Training and Director of DBT Services and Research. Dr. Rizvi received her doctorate under the mentorship of Marsha M. Linehan. She has received extensive grant funding and published dozens of research papers. Dr. Rizvi is board certified in cognitive and behavioral therapies and DBT. Her mission is to get DBT tools to as many people as possible. Her website is www.shireenrizvi.com.

Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, educator, and creator of innovative DBT-based interventions. He is Instructor in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Day Program and cofounder of Therahive, an e-learning platform for evidence-based therapy. Dr. Finkelstein has trained extensively in DBT and other evidence-based treatments, with a specialization in emotion dysregulation, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obsessive–compulsive disorder. His work bridges clinical practice, research, and creative design to make DBT skills more accessible and engaging.

Introduction    
Pathways through Problems
The Skills    

• Mindfulness Skills: An Overview
  • Wise Mind
  • Observe and Describe
  • Participate
  • Nonjudgmentally
  • One-Mindfully 
  • Effectively
• Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills: An Overview
  • Interpersonal Priorities
  • DEAR MAN
  • GIVE
  • FAST
  • Validation
• Emotion Regulation Skills: An Overview
  • Model for Describing Emotions
  • PLEASE
  • ABC
  • Check the Facts
  • Opposite Action
  • Problem Solving
  • Mindfulness of Current Emotions
• Distress Tolerance Skills: An Overview
  • TIP
  • Distract
  • IMPROVE
  • Self-Soothe
  • Pros/Cons
  • Radical Acceptance
  • Willingness
• Behavior Assessment: An Overview
  • Chain Analysis

The End Is Just the Beginning    
Index