Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapy

“This book is holistic and pragmatic and is an excellent resource for the clinician when addressing in session issues in their day to day work. Examples of interventions are demonstrated and can be applied in a format that is clinician friendly and accessible. The chapters are structured to guide treatment plans and the layout of the material facilitates clinician learning. This ensures that appropriate strategies for treatment are considered in keeping clients in mind; and at the same time helping the clients to develop their skills....I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book and use it as a regular companion in guiding treatment and implementing strategies for treatment in my practice....This book is brilliant and gains a 'thumbs up' vote from me.”

—CBT Café, the online discussion forum from the British Association for Behaviour


“A helpful manual for a wide variety of therapists in a wide variety of fields. Techniques to treat patients through emotion regulation can be applied to all levels of therapeutic interventions, from crisis stabilization to inpatient treatment to outpatient treatment maintenance. Any level or type of provider could use these techniques; they are equally useful to psychologists, social workers, physicians, nurse practitioners, and other health care providers....This book may be the ideal resource for a beginning therapist. Although it is addressing higher-level therapeutic skills, it does so in a way that is accessible. Each chapter is designed as a mini-lecture and is quite readable. The authors lay out the theories and techniques step by step, each well supported with cited literature....The authors do an excellent job of foreseeing problematic areas and suggesting helpful resolutions....This book makes concrete what is ordinarily nebulous to a beginning therapist—emotion regulation and how to address it both within and between sessions.”

—Psychiatric Services


“This book is a unique contribution to the literature; one that is particularly important given the pervasiveness of emotion regulation problems across multiple disorders. I highly recommend it.”

—Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, Professor and Director Emeritus, Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, University of Washington; developer of DBT


“Thank you, Leahy, Tirch, and Napolitano, for providing clinicians everywhere with a systematic means for helping clients develop emotion regulation skills. Most clients present with difficulties in managing their emotions, but there is a startling lack of useful materials to guide therapists. This invaluable book fills the gap, and is sure to be a resource that clinicians will reach for frequently as they develop treatment plans, adjust therapy programs during the course of treatment, and teach clients skills to use in their everyday lives. The book is complete with structured exercises, guidelines for treatment, and strategies for overcoming difficulties that routinely arise in-session.”

—Dean McKay, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychology, Fordham University


“Leahy, Tirch, and Napolitano have managed an incredible feat. They freely integrate a diverse range of psychotherapies spanning the last century and utilize basic science to develop a focused transdiagnostic intervention that will appeal to therapists of all disciplines. The book presents a wonderful selection of principles for helping clients to understand their emotions, face them, and use them to build a life of compassion and purpose, rather than a spiraling pattern of constricting habits of avoidance and suppression. I welcome this holistic yet pragmatic turn in the development of mental health interventions.”

—Warren Mansell, DPhil, DClinPsy, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom