Marsha M. Linehan (born May 5, 1943) is an American

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

and author. She is the creator of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a type of

psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

that combines

cognitive restructuring Cognitive restructuring (CR) is a psychotherapeutic process of learning to identify and dispute irrational or maladaptive thoughts known as cognitive distortions,Gladding, Samuel. Counseling: A Comprehensive Review. 6th. Columbus: Pearson Educatio ...

with

acceptance Acceptance in human psychology is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it or protest it. The concept is close in meaning to ...

mindfulness Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention to the present-moment experience without evaluation, a skill one develops through meditation or other training. Mindfulness derives from ''sati'', a significant element of Hind ...

, and shaping. Linehan is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology,

Adjunct Professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...

of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

and Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics. Her primary research is in

borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, distorted sense of self, and strong ...

, the application of behavioral models to

suicidal behavior Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...

s, and

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

Allen Frances Allen J. Frances (born 2 October 1942) is an American psychiatrist. He is currently Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. He is best known for serving as cha ...

, in the foreword for Linehan's book ''Building a Life Worth Living'', said Linehan is one of the two most influential "clinical innovators" in mental health, the other being

Aaron Beck Aaron Temkin Beck (July 18, 1921 – November 1, 2021) was an American psychiatrist who was a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.

Early life and education

Linehan was born in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

on May 5, 1943, being the third of six children. She was diagnosed with

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

at the Institute of Living in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

where she was an inpatient. Linehan was subjected to

electroconvulsive therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatry, psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroco ...

, seclusion, as well as

Thorazine Chlorpromazine (CPZ), marketed under the brand names Thorazine and Largactil among others, is an antipsychotic medication. It is primarily used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Other uses include the treatment of bipolar dis ...

and

Librium Chlordiazepoxide, trade name Librium among others, is a sedative and hypnotic medication of the benzodiazepine class; it is used to treat anxiety, insomnia and symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs. Chlordiazepoxide has a medium to ...

as treatment. During this time she dealt with suicidal behavior and although not diagnosed, she has said that she feels that she actually had

. The symptoms she experienced then are similar to today's diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder. In a 2011 interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Linehan said that she "does not remember" taking any

psychiatric medication A psychiatric or psychotropic medication is a psychoactive drug taken to exert an effect on the chemical makeup of the brain and nervous system. Thus, these medications are used to treat mental illnesses. These medications are typically made o ...

after leaving the Institute of Living when she was 18 years old. Linehan graduated

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

from

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...

in 1968 with a B.Sc. in psychology. She earned an M.A. in 1970 and a Ph.D. in 1971, in social and experimental personality psychology. During her time at Loyola University, Linehan served as lecturer for the psychology program. In addition to her work in psychology, Linehan was trained in Zen meditation and became a Zen teacher.

Career

After leaving Loyola University, Linehan started a post doctoral internship at The Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

between 1971 and 1972. During this time, Linehan served as an adjunct assistant professor at

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

. From Buffalo, Linehan completed a Post-Doctoral fellowship in

Behavior Modification Behavior modification is an early approach that used respondent and operant conditioning to change behavior. Based on methodological behaviorism, overt behavior was modified with consequences, including positive and negative reinforcement continge ...

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York system's ...

. Linehan then returned to her alma mater Loyola University in 1973 and served as an adjunct professor at the university until 1975. During this same time Linehan also served as an assistant professor in psychology at the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

from 1973 to 1977. In 1977, Linehan took a position at the

as an adjunct assistant professor in the Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences department. Linehan is now a professor of psychology and a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics. Linehan is the past-president of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy as well as of the Society of Clinical Psychology Division 12 American Psychological Association, a fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychopathological Association and a diplomate of the American Board of Behavioral Psychology. She is also the founder of the Suicide Strategic Planning Group, the DBT Strategic Planning Group, Behavioral Tech LLC and Behavioral Tech Research Inc. Linehan developed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) – a variation of traditional

cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (suc ...

(CBT) with elements of acceptance and mindfulness, as a result of her own mental illness. In 1967, while she prayed in a small Catholic chapel in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, she said:

One night I was kneeling in there, looking up at the cross, and the whole place became gold – and suddenly I felt something coming toward me ... It was this shimmering experience, and I just ran back to my room and said, 'I love myself.' It was the first time I remembered talking to myself in the first person. I felt transformed.

Dialectical behavior therapy

Through her work, Linehan realized the importance of two concepts in mental health. One of these was that to achieve meaningful and happy lives, people must learn to accept things as they are. The other was that change is necessary for growth and happiness. These two concepts are the foundation of her therapy, DBT. DBT is used for treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by suicidal behavior. Along with treatment of BPD, it has also been used to treat other disorders such as eating and substance abuse disorders. DBT uses a multitude of techniques such as behavioral therapy, strategies that improve coping and regulation of emotion, and mindfulness skills. The significance of DBT is apparent as it is the only treatment shown to be effective in reducing suicidal behavior. More personally, it is significant to Linehan because of her own early struggles with mental health.

Honors and awards

Linehan has earned several awards for her research and clinical work, including the Louis Israel Dublin award for Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Suicide in 1999, the Distinguished Research in Suicide Award from the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, creation of the Marsha Linehan Award for Outstanding Research in the Treatment of Suicidal Behavior presented by the American Association of Suicidology, the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology, the Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Clinical psychology award by the Society of Clinical Psychology, awards for Distinguished Contributions to the Practice of Psychology and Distinguished Contributions for Clinical activities as well as The Outstanding Educator Award for Mental Health Education from the New England Educational Institute in 2004, and Career Achievement Award from the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

in 2005.

Publications

Linehan has authored and co-authored many books, including two treatment manuals: ''Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder'' and ''Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder''. She published a memoir about her life and the creation of dialectical behavior therapy ''Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir'' in 2020. She has also published extensively in scientific journals, some of which include research on suicidal behavior such as the article "Modeling the suicidal behavior cycle: Understanding repeated suicide attempts among individuals with borderline personality disorder and a history of attempting suicide" while others contribute to her work on DBT like, "Behavioral assessment in DBT: Commentary on the special series".

Selected Book Publications

* ''Building a life worth living: a memoir'' (2020) * ''DBT skills training handouts and worksheets'' (2015) * ''DBT skills training manual'' (2015) * ''Opposite actions: changing emotions you want to change'' (2007) * ''Understanding borderline personality disorder: the dialectical approach'' (1995) * ''Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder'' (1993) * ''Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder'' (1993)

Personal life

Linehan is unmarried and lives with her adult adopted

Peruvian Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century; Peruvian p ...

daughter Geraldine "Geri" and her son-in-law Nate in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. Linehan is a long-time

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and reports that she is involved in such practices as meditation that she was taught by Roman Catholic priests, including her Zen teacher Willigis Jäger.

Notes

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Linehan, Marsha M. American psychology writers Borderline personality disorder experts 1943 births Living people American women psychologists 21st-century American psychologists American women non-fiction writers Women science writers American Roman Catholics People with borderline personality disorder Catholic University of America faculty Loyola University Chicago alumni Loyola University Chicago faculty University at Buffalo faculty University of Washington faculty Writers from Tulsa, Oklahoma Writers from Seattle 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American scientists 21st-century American scientists 20th-century American women scientists 21st-century American women scientists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers American women academics 20th-century American psychologists