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Best DBT Workbooks (2026)

Updated September 23, 2026 · Clinically reviewed by Emily Biggs-Heisler, Ph.D.

The best DBT workbook for most adults working on their own is The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook (2nd edition, 2019) by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood and Jeffrey Brantley. If you are already in a DBT skills group, the book to own is the one your group teaches from, which is usually Marsha Linehan's DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, now in a Revised Edition published in August 2025.

Dialectical behavior therapy was developed by Marsha Linehan, originally for people with chronic suicidal behavior and borderline personality disorder. It teaches four sets of skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. A workbook is a good way to learn the vocabulary and practice the exercises between sessions. It is not the same thing as comprehensive DBT, which also includes individual therapy, skills group, phone coaching and a therapist consultation team.

Every title below was checked on its publisher's website in September 2026 for author, edition and publication date. We list what each book is, who it suits and what to watch for. There are no affiliate links on this page.

1. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, 2nd edition (McKay, Wood and Brantley)

Best for: Adults learning DBT skills on their own or alongside therapy

This is the most widely used self-help DBT workbook, and the second edition (New Harbinger, paperback October 2019) was fully revised. The publisher describes new chapters on cognitive rehearsal, distress tolerance and self-compassion. Each chapter walks through one skill area with worksheets you fill in, which makes it a practical companion to weekly therapy.

It is written for the general reader rather than for clinicians, so it is the easiest entry point on this list. It does not follow Linehan's handout numbering, so if your group uses her materials you may find the two organize the skills differently.

  • Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
  • Edition: 2nd, October 2019 (paperback)
  • Format: paperback, ebook, audiobook

Visit The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, 2nd edition (McKay, Wood and Brantley) (opens in a new tab)

2. DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Revised Edition (Marsha M. Linehan)

Best for: Anyone in a Linehan-model DBT skills group

These are the handouts written by the developer of DBT, and most standard skills groups teach from them. Guilford Press published the Revised Edition in August 2025. According to the publisher, it reorganizes the more than 225 reproducible handouts and worksheets by skill and updates the language. The Second Edition (2014) is still in circulation, so ask your group leader which edition they use before you buy.

The handouts are brief and assume someone is teaching them. On their own they can feel terse. Clinicians who lead groups usually pair them with the companion DBT Skills Training Manual, Revised Edition (Guilford, August 2025), which holds the teaching notes.

  • Publisher: Guilford Press
  • Edition: Revised Edition, August 2025 (prior: Second Edition, 2014)
  • Format: large spiral-bound paperback, PDF ebook

Visit DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Revised Edition (Marsha M. Linehan) (opens in a new tab)

3. Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, 2nd edition (Sheri Van Dijk)

Best for: Teens who want to learn DBT skills in their own words

Written directly for adolescents, this workbook (Instant Help, a New Harbinger imprint, second edition September 2021) teaches the core DBT skills with examples from school, friendships and family life. The publisher notes new material on acceptance, shame, values and body-based calming practices in this edition.

It works well for a teen who is starting individual therapy or a teen skills group and wants something to read between sessions. Parents often read it too so they know the language their teen is learning.

  • Publisher: New Harbinger (Instant Help imprint)
  • Edition: 2nd, September 2021
  • Audience: teens

Visit Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, 2nd edition (Sheri Van Dijk) (opens in a new tab)

4. DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents (Jill H. Rathus and Alec L. Miller)

Best for: Families in a multi-family teen DBT group, and the clinicians who run them

Rathus and Miller adapted DBT for adolescents and added a fifth module, Walking the Middle Path, for teens and parents together. This manual (Guilford, November 2014) contains session outlines and 85 reproducible handouts. It is written for clinicians, but many parents in multi-family groups end up reading the handouts closely.

Guilford lists a second edition as a pre-order for December 2026: a clinician manual titled DBT Skills for Adolescents and a separate DBT Skills for Adolescents Workbook of handouts for teens, caregivers and families. If you are buying late in 2026, check which edition your program uses.

  • Publisher: Guilford Press
  • Edition: first edition, November 2014; second edition announced for December 2026
  • Audience: clinicians, teens and caregivers

Visit DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents (Jill H. Rathus and Alec L. Miller) (opens in a new tab)

5. Parenting a Teen Who Has Intense Emotions (Pat Harvey and Britt H. Rathbone)

Best for: Parents of teens with big emotional swings

This New Harbinger book (December 2015) teaches parents DBT skills for two jobs: helping their teen regulate, and managing their own reactions in the moment. It covers validation, which many parents find is the skill that changes the tone at home fastest.

It is not a teen workbook, so it pairs naturally with the Van Dijk book above. For families of younger children, Pat Harvey and Jeanine Penzo wrote Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions (New Harbinger, 2009).

  • Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
  • Published: December 2015
  • Audience: parents and caregivers

Visit Parenting a Teen Who Has Intense Emotions (Pat Harvey and Britt H. Rathbone) (opens in a new tab)

6. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Anxiety (Chapman, Gratz and Tull)

Best for: People whose anxiety comes with intense emotions

Alexander Chapman, Kim Gratz and Matthew Tull apply DBT skills to worry, panic, PTSD symptoms and other anxiety problems in this New Harbinger workbook (November 2011). It emphasizes mindfulness and acceptance skills alongside emotion regulation.

It is older than most books here but still in print. For panic, phobias or OCD, exposure-based CBT is usually the first-line approach, so treat this as a complement rather than a substitute.

  • Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
  • Published: November 2011
  • Focus: anxiety, worry, panic, PTSD symptoms

Visit The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Anxiety (Chapman, Gratz and Tull) (opens in a new tab)

7. The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide (Alexander L. Chapman and Kim L. Gratz)

Best for: People newly diagnosed with BPD and their families

This is a guide more than a workbook. Chapman and Gratz (New Harbinger, December 2007) explain what borderline personality disorder is, what research says about its causes, and what treatment involves, with a strong focus on DBT. Both authors are psychologists who research emotion regulation and have run DBT programs, according to their publisher biographies.

It is a good first read if the diagnosis is new and the skills workbooks feel like too much at once. Some of the research summaries reflect the time it was written.

  • Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
  • Published: December 2007
  • Type: guide, not a worksheet book

Visit The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide (Alexander L. Chapman and Kim L. Gratz) (opens in a new tab)

8. Calming the Emotional Storm (Sheri Van Dijk)

Best for: Adults who want a gentler, shorter introduction to DBT skills

Van Dijk, a therapist who works with DBT and mindfulness, wrote this adult book (New Harbinger, March 2012) as a plain-language tour of the skills. It is shorter and less worksheet-heavy than the McKay workbook.

It suits someone who wants to understand the skills before committing to a full workbook, or who finds dense worksheet books discouraging.

  • Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
  • Published: March 2012
  • Audience: adults

Visit Calming the Emotional Storm (Sheri Van Dijk) (opens in a new tab)

How we chose

We included books written by DBT developers or by clinicians with DBT training, from established psychology publishers, that are still in print in September 2026. We checked edition and publication dates on the publisher's own page (New Harbinger or Guilford) and used the most recent edition. We left out books that only borrow the DBT name without teaching the four skill modules.

Workbook, manual or guide: which do you need?

A self-help workbook (McKay, Van Dijk) explains each skill and gives you exercises. A skills manual (Linehan, Rathus and Miller) is written for the person teaching a group and has handouts designed to be discussed in session. A guide (Chapman and Gratz on BPD) explains the condition and the treatment without much practice material.

If you are in a group, buy the handouts your group uses. If you are in individual therapy, ask your therapist which book matches how they teach. If you are on your own, start with a workbook written for you.

What a workbook cannot do

DBT was built for people whose emotions sometimes lead to self-harm, suicidal thinking or crises. A workbook can teach skills, but it cannot provide the coaching, accountability and safety planning that comprehensive DBT includes. If you are using a workbook because therapy feels out of reach, it is still worth a consultation to see what fits. Our DBT therapy page explains how individual DBT and skills groups work together, and our guide to DBT programs in Denver compares local options.

If you are thinking about suicide or are not safe right now, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best DBT workbook for beginners?

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook (2nd edition, 2019) by McKay, Wood and Brantley is written for the general reader and covers all four skill areas with exercises.

Is there a new edition of Linehan's DBT handouts?

Yes. Guilford published DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Revised Edition in August 2025. Many groups still use the 2014 Second Edition, so check with your group leader first.

Can I do DBT on my own with a workbook?

You can learn and practice the skills, but comprehensive DBT also includes individual therapy, a skills group and between-session coaching. A workbook works best alongside treatment.

What is a good DBT book for teenagers?

Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens (2nd edition, 2021) by Sheri Van Dijk is written directly for teens. For families in a teen group, see Rathus and Miller's adolescent skills manual.

Related reading

All Denver therapy guides →

Talk to someone

Mountainside Behavioral Health offers DBT and CBT for adolescents, adults, couples and families in Greenwood Village and by telehealth across Colorado. Consultations are free, and we will tell you if another provider is a better fit. Call (720) 762-4619 or request a consultation.

If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line (free, confidential, 24/7). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

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