Building a life worth living, a Memoir

World-renowned developer of the life-saving behavioural therapy DBT, using her own struggle to develop life skills for others.
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Author: Marsha M. Linehan
Book Year: 2020
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 9780812994612
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Building a life worth living, a Memoir

In Building a Life Worth Living, author Marsha speaks to her own life experience – telling the story of her journey from suicidal teenager to developer of the behavioural therapy DBT. Filled with practical tips for coping, this book would appeal to a wide audience, and may also inspire professionals to help understand their clients better. Interestingly, it also delves into the history of clinical psychology, and how the field moved from a psychodynamic approach to incorporating behaviourist research. 

This book makes you feel great appreciation for all the work that Marsha has done in the field – it is fascinating to understand how she applied her own mental health experience to developing DBT. The layout of the book was easy to follow, however some passages felt repetitive. Overall, this book is great for those who are interested in the origins of DBT and Marsha's inspiring journey.


Reviewed by Janice Chong.

Building a life worth living, a Memoir

Disclaimer: Please note these reviews are not intended as endorsements or recommendations from the Mental Health Foundation. This feature introduces resources that may be useful for individuals with an interest in mental health and wellbeing topics.