Sheri Van Dijk

As a school counselor looking for more strategies to support my students who struggle with emotion dysregulation, I found this book to be both accessible and challenging. The opening sections helped me understand the foundations of DBT in a way I had never been able to in the past and I appreciated the inclusion of sample client-therapist conversations and step-by-step guidance on how to introduce concepts and skills to clients.

That being said, I struggled with some of the author’s show more descriptions, particularly as we got further in the book and I had to retain more information. There were several concepts that she didn’t explain thoroughly enough for me to gain even a surface level understanding and it was hard to discern why she didn’t always use sample conversations or concrete examples in places where they would have been helpful.

I also struggled with the lack of even brief consideration of how DBT might be tailored for specific populations, such as adolescents and/or those from marginalized communities, who may have a more nuanced positionality compared to clinicians and the world at large. While Van Dijk does recommend rereading the book multiple times to truly grasp the concepts and also offers some continued learning resources near the end of the book, I believe some of the tips and approaches I’ve discovered through articles and books that more specifically address these populations would have made this book stronger if they had been included (see: "Considerations for the Use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Individuals Experiencing Oppression" and DBT Skills for Teens with Anxiety: Practical Strategies to Manage Stress and Strengthen Emotional Resilience).

All in all, I’m really glad I decided to buy this book as part of my professional development plan this year. When I finished it last week, I felt like it would take me months to be able to synthesize it and implement some of the skills I learned with my students, but I’m finding even as I’m still processing the book, I have been able to speak to some DBT principles and skills already in sessions with my students, which is a testament to how effective this book is despite its limitations. show less

Focusing on Complex (multiple, chronic, or ongoing trauma) PTSD, this book helps understand the effects of trauma on our psyches and behaviors and provides some good coping skills and ways to manage one’s life. Utilizing dialectical behavior therapy techniques, this workbook would be useful to both professionals and people wanting to heal from CPTSD and take control of their lives. This is a book that probably should be read and re read a few times to maximize its benefits.

Thanks to show more #NetGalley and @NewHarbinger for the DRC. show less

Everyone is responsible for their own actions. In all relationships, each individual must determine what exactly is a healthy relationship and how to balance the difference. There are many points to help create a good self-esteem in this book. Being mindful of your behavior can make or break friendships. This in itself is a building block to create a better you. Other ways to keep a relationship healthy is using communication wisely, setting limits, and social skills.

Upon reading the title, show more I thought it would be an interesting subject and perhaps helpful as I learn to live again without the physical and mental abuse that pushed me lower each day. Normally I do not read nonfiction. This book is intended for teenagers to learn the easy way. There is no reason anyone should have to feel unworthy, regardless of age. There is a way out.

Relationship Skills 101 for Teens
Sheri Van Dijk
Instant Help Books
New Harbinger Publications, Inc
2015

This is a NetGalley review by Brenda show less

This book was reasonably helpful. It said some stuff that didn't really get through to me, but it also had a fair number of ideas that seemed useful. I'm still trying them out so I can't really speak to how much it actually helps yet, but I'm hopeful.