Marsha M. Linehan

Marsha M. Linehan (born May 5, 1943) is an American psychologist, professor, and author. She created dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychotherapy that combines cognitive restructuring with acceptance, mindfulness, and shaping. Linehan's development of DBT was a major advancement in the field of psychology, effective at treating clients who were not improving with the existing methods at the time. This unlocked new means of treating people with chronic suicidality and borderline personality disorder (BPD) and has since been shown to be helpful to people with other disorders.

Linehan is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle and Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics. Her primary research was in the development of DBT and its use for treating borderline personality disorder, the application of behavioral models to suicidal behaviors, and drug abuse. Linehan also authored books including two treatment manuals and a memoir. Linehan also founded Behavioral Tech LLC, which trains mental health professionals in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and co-founded the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC) to identify providers offering evidence-based DBT. She is also trained in spiritual direction and serves as an associate Zen teacher in both the Sanbo-Kyodan School in Germany and the Diamond Sangha in the U.S.

Allen Frances, in the foreword for Linehan's memoir 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 Marsha Linehan was born on May 5, 1943, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the third of six children. Her father worked as a vice president at Sunoco Oil, and her Cajun mother was deeply involved in church and volunteer activities. Both parents were described as image-conscious, creating an environment in which Linehan often felt invalidated. During her more than two-year stay at the institute, she dealt with suicidal behavior and although not diagnosed, she has said that she feels that she actually had borderline personality disorder. During her time at Loyola, Linehan also served as a lecturer in the psychology department.

Later career Linehan was 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 until her retirement in 2019. She founded the Suicide Strategic Planning Group, the DBT Strategic Planning Group, Behavioral Tech LLC and Behavioral Tech Research Inc.

Linehan was 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.

In addition to her work in psychology, Linehan was trained in Zen meditation and became a Zen teacher giving students the four vows of the Bodhisattva. The mindfulness skills within Zen were incorporated into DBT research and practice. These include the Louis Israel Dublin Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Suicide, the Distinguished Research in Suicide Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the establishment of the Marsha Linehan Award for Outstanding Research in the Treatment of Suicidal Behavior by the American Association of Suicidology. 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 daughter Geraldine "Geri" and her son-in-law Nate in Seattle, Washington. Linehan was a long-time Roman Catholic until her break with the Church citing its patriarchy. She is also trained in spiritual direction and serves as an associate Zen teacher in both the Sanbo-Kyodan School in Germany and the Diamond Sangha in the U.S. Linehan has an understanding that God is love and in everything.