The Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy Workbook

A powerful, breakthrough approach to help you heal from loneliness, depression, anxiety, perfectionism, and other disorders of overcontrol.

Why don’t more people like me? How come I’m so lonely? I try to do things perfectly, but no one appreciates it. I’m outwardly successful, but still feel depressed and anxious. What is wrong with me?

Does this sound like you? If so, you should know that you aren’t alone, and there is nothing wrong with you. You likely have an incredible sense of responsibility, attention to detail, and strong work ethic―all of which have led you to great success in your life. But did you know that the characteristics that may make you so successful can also make you lonely, anxious, or depressed?

If you struggle to express vulnerability and build emotional connection in relationships, you may have a disorder of overcontrol (OC). Excessive overcontrol―characterized by high risk aversion, compulsiveness, emotion inhibition, and social deficits―has been directly linked to perfectionism, depression, anxiety, and more. Luckily, there is help. Radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT) is a breakthrough, evidence-based treatment supported by twenty years of clinical research, and targets a spectrum of disorders characterized by excessive self-control. This workbook offers skills based in RO DBT to help you find a balance between your successful traits and your mental well-being.

The Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy Workbook tackles the loneliness that lies at the heart of disorders of overcontrol, and encourages strong social connections as a powerful tool for recovery. In this step-by-step workbook, you’ll learn to identify where you are on the OC spectrum, find practical exercises for self-reflection and self-enquiry, and discover tools to help you connect with others on a deeper, more meaningful level. You’ll also find strategies to help you deal with criticism, improve your ability to read complex social signals, and approach others with more trust and an open mind and heart.

If you’re tired of being at the mercy of your need for control and the impact it has on your life and relationships, this compassionate and groundbreaking workbook can help you, every step of the way.

Thomas R. Lynch, PhD, FBPsS, is professor emeritus of clinical psychology at the University of Southampton school of psychology. Previously, he was director of the Duke Cognitive Behavioral Research and Treatment Program at Duke University from 1998-2007. He relocated to Exeter University in the UK in 2007. Lynch’s primary research interests include understanding and developing novel treatments for mood and personality disorders using a translational line of inquiry that combines basic neurobiobehavioral science with the most recent technological advances in intervention research. He is founder of radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT).

Lynch has received numerous awards and special recognitions from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health-US (NIMH, NIDA), Medical Research Council-UK (MRC-EME), and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD). His research has been recognized in the Science and Advances Section of the National Institutes of Health Congressional Justification Report; and he is a recipient of the John M. Rhoades Psychotherapy Research Endowment, and a Beck Institute Scholar.

J. Nicole Little, PhD, is registered with the B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors as a therapist and supervisor. She is a senior RO DBT trainer and supervisor, and regular RO DBT blog contributor. She maintains a private practice where she focuses on treating those with overcontrol (OC), and has been featured as an outstanding clinician for youth in Insights Magazine. In 2006, she received the inaugural Vance Peavey Award for Counselling Excellence, and has been the recipient of the prestigious Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada scholarship. She is the author of several peer-reviewed articles.