Marsha Linehan
Also known as Marsha M. Linehan
American psychologist who created dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
At a glance
Roles
Main ideas
A vow, Acceptance as therapy, Skills are therapy …
See all 4Books to start with
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (1993), DBT Skills Training Manual (2015), Building a Life Worth Living (2020)
See all 3Connections
Aaron Beck, Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir and 3 others
See all 5
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- She created Dialectical behavior therapy, the first therapy shown to help chronically suicidal people with borderline personality disorder.
- As a teenager she was hospitalised for over two years and later said she believed she had BPD herself.
- She spent her career at the University of Washington, where she is professor emeritus.
- She is also a Zen teacher, and DBT's mindfulness skills come from that practice.
Why it matters
- Her work changed what was considered treatable, and her skills for emotions and crises are now taught far beyond therapy rooms.
Key facts
- Born
- 5 May 1943, Tulsa, Oklahoma1
- Known for
- Creating dialectical behavior therapy1
- Education
- BSc 1968, MA 1970 and PhD 1971 in psychology, Loyola University Chicago1
- Position
- Professor emeritus of psychology, University of Washington; retired 20191
- Founded
- Behavioral Tech LLC; co-founded the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification1
- Zen
- Confirmed as a Zen master in 2012; founded the Empty Cloud Sangha2
- Award
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Lifetime Achievement Award, 20252
Roles
Main ideas
-
A vow1
At the Institute of Living she vowed to get herself out of hell and then go back and get others out.
-
Acceptance as therapy1
She held that people must accept things as they are through radical acceptance, and that change is also needed.
-
Skills are therapy1
Critics said she was 'just a teacher' and skills are not therapy; trials showed otherwise.
-
Wise mind1
Her term for the synthesis of rational and emotional mind, drawn from Zen practice.
Books to start with
-
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (1993)1
The DBT treatment manual.
-
DBT Skills Training Manual (2015)1
The skills curriculum used in DBT groups.
-
Building a Life Worth Living (2020)1
Her memoir about her illness and creating DBT.
Connections
Links
Sources
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