Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder

I am recovering from this disorder. I have been in mental hospitals and spent years in therapy. I have read Masterson, and David P. Celani's translation of Fairbairn (who corrected Freud's mistake on object relations theory so it makes practical sense and actually is helpful in understanding thought processes of trauma victims. Very enlightening). These were my favorite books on the subject until this. Most books about BPD are written by observers from an external perspective. They don't understand what's really going on inside and the help they offer isn't dead on target like Marsha Linehan's is. She is recovering from BPD herself and spent years of agony before turning it all around to become a therapist who can reach people in pain on THEIR level. She doesn't talk down and she didn't get it all out of a book. She knows. I have gotten immeasurable help following the approach in this book. I also like a complementary book, the autobiography of another recovering borderline, who was helped using the techniques created by Dr. Linehan: "The Buddha and the Borderline" by Kiera Van Gelder. As it is a story and not a psychology book, it is easier to understand.

This is a textbook and not particularly easy reading for the layperson. However the information presented is valuable to both therapist and patient. Not only does it give hard facts on studies done about both BPD and this type of treatment on the disorder, but it does an excellent job of explaining the concept of DBT, the variant of CBT that has been successful for patients with BPD. The very basis of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy can be confusing and difficult to grasp, but the book does a great job with it. Dr. Linehan goes into specific details of the therapy itself, what is required of both patient and therapist and common problems that interfere with the success of the therapy--and that's only the first few chapters. I'm not a fan of expensive textbooks, and this is not one you'll find cheap even used, but in my opinion it was well worth the money spent for a better understanding.

This is a slog of a read, but it will absolutely change how you approach working with BPD and self-harm.

Very informative. Is not too easy of a read. Even my professor states that he has had a hard time but that over the years he's gotten much better at figuring it out. Good book to have.

Great book, but not to be confused with a DBT workbook.

This book was one of more than a few I purchased because I stumbled across Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I since found a therapist who specializes in this treatment. If you aren't familiar with it this type of therapy works with changing how the mind thinks when it comes to issues, instead of treatment with drugs. I have an injury and have been dealing with non-stop pain for quite a long time which has changed my personality, along with lifestyle and life outlook. After years of suffering and being prescribed massive amounts of pharmaceuticals and being sent on my way, and me not believing in taking so many, if any pharmaceuticals, I went searching for a different way of treatment. I am so very glad I stumbled across CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), this type of treatment is fantastic when it comes to helping with any form of pain, life changing trauma and/or mental issue. Even if one has a mental issue that needs pharmaceuticals as a form of treatment, CBT goes a long way when it comes to additional treatment and a permanent solution to issues. In addition to getting these types of books, which are very helpful seeking a therapist who can help you can really change your life. CBT therapy isn't long term therapy that lasts long after your pocketbook or insurance has been exhausted; True CBT therapy is treatment that lasts a certain amount of time, but be prepared to do a lot of hard work while going through the therapy outside the appointments. Please do check into this type of therapy and get these types of books during or ahead of time when it comes to treatment; but make sure the therapist you seek out is truly a CBT therapist. Wonderful life changing (for the better) therapy.

This book is designed for use in skill training groups for BPD. The author offers advice on adapting it to be used in individual therapy however. Linehan is forging a place in the mental health field as the foremost clinican in dealing with BPD. The reader is immediately aware of the extensive amount of research that went into this book. The author is not writing about opinion, she is writing about the results of years of extensively scrutinzing the work of herself and others. On the downside the book has the amount and quality of information one would expect from a textbook. This is not light reading, it is however a page turner (as far as academic texts go) if you have ever felt inadequate when dealing with BPD. After applying the ideas in this book I found that BPD was not the same beast in treating than in the past.

I loved this book and will use it as my Bible forever. Marsha Linehan is amazing. Great book to read in depth and it use as a reference.