The DBT Skills Workbook for Teen Self-Harm

Practical Tools to Help You Manage Emotions and Overcome Self-Harming Behaviors

Put an end to self-harming behaviors—once and for all.

Do you cut or self-harm? Do you feel like it gives you a sense of control in a world where you so often feel helpless and powerless? Do you do it to distract from emotional pain, or just feel something other than total numbness? There’s a long list of reasons why you may self-harm. But regardless of the reason or the method, the truth is that self-harm is a destructive—and potentially deadly—way to deal with emotional pain. Fortunately, there are healthier and safer ways to manage your emotions.

In The DBT Skills Workbook for Teen Self-Harm, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) expert Sheri Van Dijk offers powerful skills to help you manage your emotions, so you won’t have to rely on self-destructive behaviors. Whether you’re actively engaging in self-harm by injuring your body, or participating in other self-destructive behaviors such as substance abuse or disordered eating, this workbook will help you create your own action plan for change.

This workbook will guide you through four essential DBT skills:

• Mindfulness shows you how to experience emotion without having to act on it
• Distress tolerance teaches you how to deal with the urge to self-harm
• Emotional regulation allows you to understand and control painful feelings
• Interpersonal effectiveness helps you build self-respect and minimize feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness

Life can be painful, but you don’t need to face this pain all on your own. With support, and the skills outlined in this workbook, you’ll gain the tools you need to manage difficult thoughts and feelings in safer, healthier ways.