DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents

“There is a wealth of information that defines DBT for adolescents and explains what it addresses. The individual sessions outlined are very helpful. I think any school social worker who read through the (several) activities and handouts would feel enthusiastic about how practical and helpful the skills are….The sessions are laid out in an organized manner with suggestions about where leaders should jump in….The details, handouts, and activities are very valuable.”

—School Social Work Journal


“Provides us with a very up-to-date iteration of DBT skills as they have been developed for adolescents and their parents. The book is comprehensive, very inclusive, and carefully detailed….This text could clearly be used in any graduate psychology training program, social work training program, or psychiatric residency where DBT skills are taught and where students can participate in an ongoing DBT treatment program.”

—Child and Family Behavior Therapy


“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, Professor and Director Emeritus, Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, University of Washington; developer of DBT


“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 maladaptive 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 Dialectical Behavior Therapy 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 that are well accepted by teens and their parents. If you treat adolescents with problems regulating their emotions and behaviors, this volume is indispensable.”

—Lars Mehlum, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Suicidology, University of Oslo, Norway