No matter how #blessed you are, sometimes life can feel downright overwhelming. Whether it's a breakup or divorce, the loss of a job, or even a global pandemic, you may need a little extra help managing the difficult emotions that can arise when things are not going so great. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a proven-effective and evidence-based treatment that can help you find balance and improve your ability to handle adversity without losing control and acting destructively.
This potent and portable guide focuses on one of the core skills of DBT: distress tolerance. With this book, you'll learn that you are strong enough to weather life's storms. You can handle whatever stress or setback life throws your way. And you can face your own difficult thoughts and feelings head on-without avoidance, anger, or despair.
Life happens. But you don't have to get pulled under. With Distress Tolerance Made Easy, you'll learn tons of tips and tricks to help you keep your cool-even when those emotional triggers strike. Why not keep a copy on your nightstand, in your glove box, or on your work desk? You never know when you'll need it!
About the Author :
Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, is a psychotherapist, and renowned dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) expert. She is author of several books, including Calming the Emotional Storm, Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, and The Self-Harm Workbook for Teens. Her books focus on using DBT skills to help people manage their emotions and cultivate lasting well-being. She is also the recipient of the R.O. Jones Award from the Canadian Psychiatric Association.
Matthew McKay, PhD, is a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He has authored and co-authored numerous books, including Self-Esteem, Thoughts and Feelings, When Anger Hurts, and ACT on Life Not on Anger. McKay received his PhD in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, and specializes in the cognitive behavioural treatment of anxiety and depression. He lives and works in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Jeffrey C. Wood, PsyD, lives and works in Las Vegas, NV. He specializes in brief therapy treatments for depression, anxiety, and trauma. He also provides coaching for spiritual development, communication skills development, and life skills. Wood is co-author of The New Happiness, The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Workbook, and The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Diary.
Jeffrey Brantley, MD, is professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry and human behaviour at Duke University Medical Center. He is founder and former director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program at Duke Integrative Medicine. He has represented the Duke MBSR program in numerous radio, television, and print interviews. He is author of Calming Your Anxious Mind, and co-author of the Five Good Minutes® series.
Patrick Fanning is a professional writer in the mental health field, and founder of a men's support group in Northern California. He has authored and co-authored twelve self-help books, including Self-Esteem, Thoughts and Feelings, Couple Skills, and Mind and Emotions.
Erica Pool, PsyD, earned her doctorate at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA; and has clinical and research experience at the University of California, Berkeley, and the VA Northern California Health Care System; and has consulted with mental health start-ups. The goal of her work is to understand processes at the core of human suffering to help craft individualized and culturally responsive treatments.
Patricia E. Zurita Ona, PsyD, "Dr. Z," is a psychologist specializing in working with and creating compassionate, research-based, and actionable resources for overachievers and overthinkers to get them unstuck from worries, fears, anxieties, perfectionism, procrastination, obsessions, and ineffective "playing it safe" actions. She is founder of the East Bay Behavior Therapy Center-a boutique practice where she offers therapy and coaching services based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and contextual behavioral science. She has been nominated as a fellow of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science for her contributions to the applications of ACT to specific fear-based struggles
Review :
As a fellow dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapist, author, and trainer, I am always on the lookout for simple, practical, and effective ways of making DBT skills accessible to the average reader. In this book, you will find just that! Even after using, teaching, and writing about DBT concepts for more than a decade, I now have a richer understanding of distress tolerance that I am excited to try on myself—and share with others!
For those looking for practical and accessible distress tolerance skills, this book is for you. Distress Tolerance Made Easy compiles a list of simple and must-have coping strategies to add to your repertoire. With guidance and scripts, this book will lead you to finding the skills that suit you best during moments of distress. You're guaranteed to walk away with several tools to help you face strong emotions.
People who struggle with intense emotions and self-destructive behavior will benefit from the information in this book. The authors have done an excellent job of teaching skills that are simple, clear, accessible, and true to DBT. Valuable for adults and adolescents!
