Stress affects everyone in different ways and can actually help some people become more productive and innovative. But extreme stress more often has a paralyzing effect, and can lead to negative coping behaviors like anger, emotional overreactions, anxiety, and alcohol, drug, or food abuse. This book is the first to offer a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program for coping with extreme stress in healthier ways. The four DBT skills can help those prone to overreactions and other negative responses to stress to embrace imperfections, expand their options, and soothe themselves in stressful situations. The Stress Response invites readers to explore their personal stress reactions and practice these new methods of solving the everyday problems that trigger stress. Readers also learn to accept their most stressed-out emotions and thoughts without judging them, and gradually decrease their vulnerability to stress. Christy Matta, MA, has worked in mental health for over twenty years as a clinician, trainer, and administrator, specializing in work with people who have emotion dysregulation and behavioral problems. She is trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and has provided training and clinical supervision to DBT programs, staff, and clinicians. She has presented nationally on the topic of DBT and participated in the sign and clinical supervision of DBT residential programs, including a winner of the AmericanPsychiatric Association's Gold Award. She lives in the greater Boston area. |
