Some of us have a harder time managing our emotions. Therefore, we find ourselves engaging in destructive behaviors to cope. Enter Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, DBT is proven to help people manage overwhelming emotions. It does so by teaching people specific change-based strategies. Because of this, DBT skills help people regulate their emotions. In this episode, Diana speaks with psychologist and author Dr. Matthew McKay. They discuss his newly revised book, The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. In this book, Dr. McKay makes traditional DBT skills more practical and accessible to everyone. Because let’s be honest. We could all use skills to help us more effectively downregulate strong emotions from time to time!

“Helping people get down-regulation skills is really important, not only to help them feel better emotionally but to also help them lead less impulsive and dangerous lives.”Dr. Matthew McKay

Listen and Learn

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About Dr. McKay

Matthew McKay, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He is the co-director of the Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinic with Robyn Walser. Dr. McKay is the co-founded Haight Ashbury Psychological Services, a low-fee community clinic in San Francisco, CA. He is the founder of New Harbinger Publications. Dr. McKay received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.

Dr. McKay is also an accomplished writer. He has authored many books including “The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook,” “The New Happiness: Practices for Spiritual Growth and Living with Intention,” “The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook,” “Self-Esteem, Thoughts and Feelings,” “When Anger Hurts,” and “ACT on Life Not on Anger.”

Resources for Practicing DBT Skills

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance by Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Jeffery Wood, PsyD, and Jeffery Brantley, MD The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Card Deck: 52 Practices to Balance Your Emotions Everyday by Matthew McKay, Ph.D. and Jeffery Wood, Psy.D.

85. Emotion Efficacy with Dr. Aprilia West109. How to Loosen Up and Be Less Overcontrolled: Radically Open DBT with Hope Arnold (part 2)108. Is Your Self-Control Out of Control? with Hope Arnold (Part 1)