Marsha linehan wikipedia

Who Is Marsha Linehan?: Understanding Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Who is Marsha Linehan, and what was Marsha Linehan diagnosed with?

During her adolescence, Marsha Linehan was diagnosed with schizophrenia and placed into residential care at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut. During her time there, Linehan struggled to overcome suicidal behaviors. After leaving the Institute in 1961 at 18 years old, Linehan did not continue to take psychiatric medication to manage her mental illness. In later interviews, Linehan commented that she believes she may have been incorrectly diagnosed, as many of the symptoms she experienced in adolescence met the criteria for a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). 

BPD did not exist as a diagnosis when Linehan was institutionalized, which may have contributed to the likely incorrect diagnosis she received. Linehan would later develop dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a derivative of cognitive-behavioral therapy. DBT grew out of a series of failed attempts to apply cognitive-behavioral treatment to those experiencing s

Marsha M. Linehan

American psychologist

Marsha M. Linehan (born May 5, 1943) is an American psychologist and author. She is the creator of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a type of psychotherapy that combines cognitive restructuring with acceptance, mindfulness, and shaping.

Linehan is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle and Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics.[1] Her primary research is in borderline personality disorder, the application of behavioral models to suicidal behaviors, and drug abuse. Allen Frances, 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.

Early life and education

Linehan was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 5, 1943, being the third of six children. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut where she was an inpatient. Linehan was subj

For Women’s History Month, each week we will highlight a major female contributor to the field of psychology. Today, we discuss Marsha Linehan.

Marsha M. Linehan, born on May 5, 1943, is an American psychologist and professor whose groundbreaking work has significantly impacted the field of psychology, particularly the treatment of complex, chronic, and co-occurring psychological disorders. Linehan is best known for developing Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a comprehensive and evidence-based therapeutic approach initially designed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Linehan’s journey in psychology began with an interest in understanding and treating individuals who were at risk for suicide. She earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Loyola University in Chicago in 1971 and later joined the faculty at the University of Washington. It was during her time at the University of Washington that Linehan developed DBT.

Introduced in the late 1980s, DBT combines elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with Eastern mindfulness practices wit

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