Marsha Linehan

“Radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice
and accept things as they are, right now, without judging.”
~ Marsha Linehan

March is Women’s History Month. In honor of celebrating women, it is important to highlight their achievements, and contributions to society. One such woman in the spotlight of celebrating contributions to the psychological society is Marsha Linehan. Ms. Linehan is an American Psychologist who created dialectical behavior therapy, or commonly known as DBT. Her creation is a style of psychotherapy that collaborates behavioral science with Buddhist concepts of acceptance and mindfulness.
The inspiration behind her theoretical development was her own struggle with mental illness. Ms. Linehan was diagnosed with schizophrenia and experienced her own journey of healing. This driving force behind her work lead her to Loyola University in Chicago, IL. Completing her undergraduate work, she earned a B.S. in Psychology. She then continued on to complete work earning a M.A. and Ph.D. Her post-doctoral work was done at The Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service in Buffalo, New York. During Ms. Linehans’s post- doctoral years, she completed a fellowship in behavior modification.
Her primary research is on borderline personality disorder, application of behavior models to suicidal behaviors, and drug abuse. She is a Professor of Psychology, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, and the Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics.
Marsha Linehan is the recipient of many prestigious awards for her research and clinical work. In addition to awards, she is the author and co-author of several publications including: Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, and several published works in scientific journals.
Her work has made a major contribution to treating those with severe mental anguish. The development of DBT has given more hope to those that suffer deeply.