Real Skills for Real Life is a DBT guide written for people who want the skills without waiting for a therapy hour to explain them.
The book is by Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD, and Dr. Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD, and it was published by Guilford Press. The paperback came out on November 4, 2025, the hardcover followed on January 7, 2026, and there is an ebook edition as well.
What is inside
The guide covers 26 core skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, each one illustrated and broken into steps you can follow on a difficult day. Familiar DBT tools are here: Wise Mind, validation, problem solving, radical acceptance. So are decision trees that answer the question most people get stuck on, which skill do I reach for right now.
It runs 158 pages, which is deliberate. This is a working manual, not a survey of the research.
Who it is for
- People in therapy who want the skills in their own hands between sessions
- People not in therapy who are dealing with stress, intense emotions, or relationships that keep going sideways
- Clinicians who want a plain-language resource to hand a client
How it connects to the work here
DBT skills are part of how we work at Axis Psychological Services, in individual therapy and in the DBT skills group. A book cannot replace practice with feedback, and it is not a substitute for care when emotions are dangerous. What it can do is give you the same vocabulary and the same steps we use in session, at home, at three in the morning, when the session is days away.
If you want to try a skill before you read anything, start with crisis survival skills or the DBT What skills, both with guided video.
Where to get it
The book is available from Guilford Press and from major booksellers. ISBN 9781462555574.
If you want to practice the skills from the book with support, learn about DBT therapy in NYC, or join the DBT skills group in NYC.
Common questions about Real Skills for Real Life
Who is the book for?
People in therapy who want the skills in their own hands between sessions, people not in therapy who are dealing with stress or relationships that keep going sideways, and clinicians who want a plain language resource to hand a client. No prior knowledge of DBT is assumed.
Do I need to be in DBT to use it?
No. The skills are written to be used on their own, and the decision trees are there so you can find the right one without a therapist in the room. What a book cannot do is give you feedback, or help when emotions are dangerous, and that is where working with a clinician comes in.
How is Real Skills for Real Life different from a DBT workbook?
It is shorter and more direct. 158 pages, 26 skills, each one illustrated and broken into steps, with decision trees for choosing between them. It is a working manual rather than a survey of the research, which is why it is built to be kept within reach rather than read once.
Where can I get it?
From Guilford Press and from major booksellers, in paperback, hardcover, and ebook. The ISBN is 9781462555574.
