Acknowledgments

I am grateful to so many people who have helped me to step onto and stay on this path I’ve taken, without whom this type of book would not be possible. I would like to thank all of my clients, who have taught me so much about how these skills work (and sometimes how they don’t) to enhance their daily lives and bring them freedom and fulfillment. I got into DBT work back in graduate school, when I saw in one of my very first clients how powerful these skills can be and how much change is possible even in the midst of misery and despair. Since then, I have been compelled (somewhat obsessively and compulsively) to devote my career and much of my life to this work. One of my very favorite activities each week is the teaching of my DBT skills groups, and the best reward for this work occurs when I hear that people are using these skills to make meaningful changes in their lives. Each person I’ve worked with has taught me so much, and I thank you all for helping me to be in the best position to help others.

I am also grateful to my coauthors for taking this journey with me. I feel very fortunate to have Kim as a friend, colleague, and coauthor. You are one of the most skilled and compassionate people I’ve ever met, and these writing projects with you are a delight. I’d also like to thank Matt, without whom this book simply wouldn’t exist. His expertise in anxiety disorders and clear, compassionate writing have been invaluable. I also have greatly appreciated the feedback and support (even when I have asked for deadline extensions for this book, which I must admit that I did twice!) of the editorial staff at New Harbinger, especially Catharine Meyers, Jess Beebe, and Kayla Sussell.

My parents, family, and mentors also have contributed so much to my life and work. I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Dr. Richard Farmer, for his guidance while I was a graduate student learning about treatments for anxiety and other disorders. I may not have appreciated those biweekly essays in your class at the time, but I sure do now. Dr. Marsha Linehan’s wisdom has been essential to this work (I often hear her voice in my head whenever I write about, teach, or practice DBT), and I greatly appreciate her ongoing friendship and support of my work. I also would like to thank Dr. Tony Cellucci for his support, friendship, and guidance over the years. My parents have stuck with me and showed an unusual degree of acceptance and tolerance over the years, even years ago, when I tried to convince them that there was no point in my going to university. My wife, Katherine, has been a saint for supporting me throughout graduate school and putting up with all of my work, and for her amazing job as the mother of our two wonderful sons, Max and Quinn.

—­Alex L. Chapman

I am eternally grateful to my clients, mentors, and coauthors for everything they have done and continue to do for me. This book would not have been possible without them. First, I would like to gratefully acknowledge the DBT skills group clients whose courage and strength I have been fortunate enough to witness over the years. I am humbled that they have invited me into their lives and trusted me to assist them in their journey toward more skillful behavior. They bring these skills to life and inspire me to continue to share this knowledge with others.

I would also like to acknowledge the DBT mentors, colleagues, and students I have had the pleasure and honor to work with over the years, from my mentor, Elizabeth Murphy, who sparked my ongoing passion for DBT and taught me how to truly engage with the skills and teach them in a flexible way, to the current colleagues and students on my DBT consultation team: Amee Epler, Jason Lavender, Mike Anestis, Nicole Weiss, and Lauren Baillie, who show me new ways of teaching and relating to these skills every day. Thank you for making this work so rewarding and fun. Thanks also to the supportive and skillful editorial staff at New Harbinger, especially Catharine Meyers, Jess Beebe, and Kayla Sussell. Their guidance throughout this process is greatly appreciated.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my coauthors on this project. First, to my book-­writing partner and dear friend Alex Chapman, I am deeply thankful for our friendship and value the opportunity to continue to collaborate with you in this way. With each book we write together, I appreciate the process more and more. Second, I am eternally grateful to Matt Tull, my husband, for agreeing to join us in this endeavor and for contributing his vast knowledge of anxiety and related disorders to this book. We could not have done this without him. More importantly, my contributions to this book would not have been possible without Matt’s ongoing love, support, patience, and encouragement (not to mention his amazing culinary skills). I am blessed and forever grateful to be able to share all aspects of my life with him and could not be happier to have him as my husband, partner, and consummate collaborator. Finally, I will always be grateful to my parents, Linda and Dave, for their steadfast support and unconditional love throughout my life, and to Daisy for bringing joy, peace, and love into our lives.

—­Kim L. Gratz

Several people deserve recognition for their encouragement and support of me, which made this book possible. I would first like to acknowledge my mentor Lizabeth Roemer. Liz first introduced me to the world of anxiety disorders and greatly shaped my thinking about anxiety. She also opened my eyes to acceptance-­ and mindfulness-­based treatments for anxiety disorders, which has had a tremendous influence on my life, both as a clinician and as a human being. I am grateful for the impact she has had on my development as a researcher and clinician.

I would also like to acknowledge my fellow authors, Alex Chapman and Kim Gratz. The idea of cowriting this book was (quite fittingly) anxiety provoking; however, it was a true pleasure to work with Alex and Kim. They made writing this book an easy and enjoyable experience, and I know it would not have been possible without their knowledge, experience, and dedication. I look forward to our future collaborations. I also very much appreciate the assistance and support of Jess Beebe, Kayla Sussell, and Catharine Meyers at New Harbinger Publications. Their comments have improved this book, and their support and excitement for this book was motivating. I am also thankful to my clients for sharing their lives and struggles with me. Above all else, I hope that this book will help people find peace in a world that is filled with many sources of anxiety, fear, and worry, allowing them to live the lives they want to live.

I also would like to thank my parents and my brother, Chris. Their unending, unconditional love, enthusiasm, and support throughout my life have always made me believe that anything is possible. They have instilled in me the values that have helped me get to this point in my life. I owe them much. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my wife, Kim (who also happens to be a coauthor of this book). The amount of love, support, and inspiration she provides is second to none. I have enjoyed being able to share this journey with her. I only hope that I live up to what she deserves in a husband, colleague, and friend.

—­Matthew T. Tull