Real Skills for Real Life

“This book gave me the practical tools and guidance I badly needed to drop some behaviors based in fear and shame that have been holding me back for decades--and start making choices that serve me better. I feel like I am breaking free of self-inflicted shackles!”--Louis S., Woodstock, New York

“I have spent more than a decade in traditional talk therapy, replaying the same anxious thought loops and intrusive thoughts with only minuscule mood shifts to show for it. This book lays out concrete skills and strategies for navigating life’s inevitable ups and downs, helping me to rethink my own emotional resting posture and, if only for intervals, snap out of it. I feel more progress after one read on the sofa than I do after 10 years on the couch.”--Sam C., New York City

“DBT offers such a rich, creative, varied approach to problems large and small, and Drs. Rizvi and Finkelstein give you step-by-step tools to put DBT concepts into practice. I know this book will be very helpful when I need an on-the-spot resource to manage anxiety or self-judgment, for example, or prepare for difficult conversations. The visual aids and illustrations make the book approachable and fun. I will definitely recommend and share this resource with many friends in the years ahead.”--Jan D., Woodstock, New York

“What a gem of a book! Drs. Rizvi and Finkelstein have distilled 26 DBT skills into bite-sized chunks with wonderful illustrations and graphics. I really like the flowcharts that direct you to appropriate skills to try for common challenges. This book will be of use to any human struggling with stresses and crises of any scale, regardless of your background in DBT.”--Michaela A. Swales PhD, Professor and Program Director, North Wales Clinical Psychology Program, Bangor University, United Kingdom

“Being a person is painful. Like a good friend, this clear, warm, lively book takes you by the hand and imparts astonishing wisdom and strategies for making it hurt less. Real Skills for Real Life is a revelation.”--Jean G., Hudson, New York

“Drs. Rizvi and Finkelstein take skills from DBT and translate them into a salve for daily living. The book explains what skill to use when, how you can tell if it is working, and alternative skills for when it is not. Lively, clever images practically make the skills jump off the page.”--Jill H. Rathus, PhD, Department of Psychology, Long Island University Post; Cognitive Behavioral Associates, Great Neck, New York-