Powerful dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills to move beyond shame and toward a place of peace and healing.
Shame is a devastating emotion, and one that's often difficult to work through. If you are hurting, you should know that you aren’t alone. Shame may be the result of a past trauma, feelings of insecurity, or even guilt. Shame can also spiral out of control, make you feel trapped and hopeless, and lead to more serious mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. So, how can you soothe intense feelings of shame and find lasting peace and emotional balance?
Written by renowned DBT experts, The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Shame offers a step-by-step, evidence-based approach to healing from shame using the core skills of emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. Using the exercises in this workbook, you’ll learn to cultivate nonjudgmental self-acceptance, and discover strategies for managing difficult emotions—even in situations that trigger feelings of shame, guilt, or self-directed anger.
This workbook will help you:
- Identify the root cause of your shame
- Experience difficult emotions without acting on them
- Move past self-destructive behaviors
- Express yourself honestly and openly
- Build healthy, supportive relationships with others
If you are struggling with shame, you are not alone—and there is help. This step-by-step workbook can help you look beyond these intense feelings and start seeing yourself with more clarity, compassion, and acceptance.
Alexander L. Chapman, PhD, RPsych, is professor and coordinator of the clinical science area in the psychology department at Simon Fraser University in Canada, as well as a registered psychologist and president of the DBT Centre of Vancouver. Chapman directs the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, where he studies the role of emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-harm, impulsivity, as well as other related issues. His research is currently funded by major grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Chapman has received the Young Investigator's Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABDP), the Canadian Psychological Association's Scientist Practitioner Early Career Award, and a Career Investigator award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
Chapman has coauthored ten books, three of which received the 2012 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies' Self-Help Book Seal of Merit Award. Board certified in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies) and DBT (DBT®-Linehan Board of Certification), Chapman cofounded a large psychology practice, and regularly gives workshops and presentations to clinicians and community groups both nationally and internationally. He also has been practicing martial arts, Zen, and mindfulness meditation for many years, and enjoys cooking, hiking, skiing, and spending time with his wife and sons.
Kim L. Gratz, PhD, is professor and chair of the department of psychology at the University of Toledo. Gratz directs the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, in which she conducts laboratory and treatment outcome research focused on the role of emotion dysregulation in the pathogenesis and treatment of BPD, self-injury, and other risky behaviors. Gratz has received multiple awards for her research on personality disorders, including the Young Investigator's Award from the NEABPD in 2005, and the Mid-Career Investigator Award from the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders in 2015. She has been continuously funded since 2003 (with continuous federal funding as principal investigator since 2008), and has authored more than 145 peer-reviewed publications and six books on BPD, self-injury, and DBT.
